Page 1 of 1
Do skinks have scent marking glands?
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 1:41 pm
by Kbell31
Everyone is familiar with how cats mark objects with the glands in their lips. They approach something, sniff and then rub the side of their face on it releasing their pheremones. I have seen my skink do this exact same thing with the furniture she comes in contact with when she is out roaming the house. Is this related or does it just feel good to her?
Re: Do skinks have scent marking glands?
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 1:59 pm
by Fatal_S
I was wondering about this recently while watching a skink walking along while rubbing his face against the wall, then turning around to rub the other side. No actual idea though.
Re: Do skinks have scent marking glands?
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 2:06 pm
by Laurenk
Are they shedding? Check for retained sheds as well.
Re: Do skinks have scent marking glands?
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 4:11 pm
by Lea
They usually mark scent by cloacal rubbing to communicate sexual receptiveness or mark territory, I don't think it has been determined that they possess scent glands near the face or any other area, apart from the anal glands, even though they exhibit a behavioural indication of such with snout and facial rubbing.
Re: Do skinks have scent marking glands?
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 4:27 pm
by Lea
oh and the salinity of the salts secreted in the nose may be a trigger by smell, though from what I remember reading, it's primary purpose being to excrete salts, it's not especially developed or recognised as a scent gland in itself.
Re: Do skinks have scent marking glands?
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 5:07 pm
by Scotts1au
Pretty sure that there was a paper by Uni of Tasmania on the issue of pheramones and tracking by male blotchies. I doubt that rubbing of necks has anything to do with it, but probably in cloacal excretions.
Re: Do skinks have scent marking glands?
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 5:18 pm
by Jeff
To support what Lea and Scott have said, female skinks frequently drag their cloaca across the head of a male in order to attract his interest when they are ready to mate. I have never seen head rubbing behavior that seemed to have anything to do with breeding. The scent that mattters definitely seems to come from the genital region.