TERRITORIAL MARKING IN THE YELLOW MONGOOSE CYNICTIS-PENICILLATA - SEXUAL ADVERTISEMENT FOR SUBORDINATES

In the yellow mongoose, a colonial territorial viverrid, territory mar king is performed by all group members. Subordinate adults, both male and female, have higher marking rates than the dominants and juveniles of both sexes and their marks carrying identity cues are deposited es pecially in border areas and outside the territory. They are also the animals most involved in territorial defence. Within the territory, ma rking was concentrated around the burrow systems and dominants either did not mark (dominant male) or did not visit (dominant female) the te rritory borders. Subordinate males, which have low reproductive succes s in their natal colonies, disperse usually to neighbouring colonies a nd subordinate females cross territory borders when in oestrus and are mated by males from neighbouring groups. The classes of animal most l ikely to seek mating opportunities outside the colony thus mark most o ften where their marks will be encountered by strangers. Apart from it s role in territory familiarisation and territory owner assessment, ma rking in this species is hypothesised as being a means of sexual adver tisement for subordinate animals.