CHEMICAL COMMUNICATION IN ROE DEER (CAPRE OLUS)

The observations and experiments with European (Capreolus capreolus) a nd Siberian (C. pigargus) roe deer were carried out under seminatural conditions for studying the role of different sources of the lofactory stimuli (urine, faeces, excretion of specific skin glands) in the spe cies scent communication. The behavioral responsed to the different ol factory stimuli were studied. The social interactions related with the scent communication between the roe deer individuals were found to be rare in summer time. Among the interactions, two types of the contact s predominated: naso-nasal and naso-genital ones. The roe deer faeces as a source of the oIfactory stimuli are far less informative than the ir urine and transfer the information mainly on the species to which a n individual belongs. The urine and the excretion of the interdigital glands are sources of information about the species, sex, age, and phy siological status of an individual. The male territorial marks contain ing the excretion of the head skin glands are a source of information about the species and sex of an individual. The functions of the metat arsal glands are still not understood. The information about the speci es and the sex of roe deer individuals is duplicated by the several so urces of the olfactory stimuli: the urine and the specific skin glands . The probable mechanisms of an exchange of the olfactory information between the roe deer individulas am discussed.