Abstract
Ferrets perform a repertoire of scent-marking actions including anal drag, wiping, body rubbing and chin rubbing. Observations on ferrets in an outside enclosure revealed that anal drags were performed at latrines, often near den sites, at equal frequencies by males and females, throughout the year. Males did more wiping and body rubbing than females, especially during spring. Frequencies of chin rubbing also peaked in spring. Ferrets use a hinterland marking system, leaving marks throughout the home range. Different messages are conveyed by the various marks. Anal drags leave an olfactory signature of anal sac secretion for inter-and intrasexual communication. They would allow the assessment of the asymmetry of a conflict situation by a scent-matching mechanism or mediate a neighbour-neighbour recognition and avoidance system. Wiping and rubbing actions release the ferret's general body odour, and may act as a threat signal in agonistic encounters. The function of chin rubbing at food sites remains unclear.
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