Misidentification by wild rabbits,Oryctolagus cuniculus, of group members carrying the odor of foreign inguinal gland secretion : I. Experiments with all-male groups.

To demonstrate that the inguinal gland odor conveys information on the identity of individuals, 60 male, wild-type rabbits,Oryctolagus cuniculus, living in groups of three in outdoor pens, were used in 120 tests. Members of the groups smeared with the inguinal gland secretion from unfamiliar rabbits were attacked by their penmates. In contrast the odors of chin gland secretions and urine of strange rabbits and of a commercial perfume did not cause serious disruption to the social relationships within the groups.