Dung-pile use by guanacos in eastern Patagonia

Abstract

Previous studies on guanacos have reported that only territorial males create and maintain dung-piles. The aim of this analysis was to compare dung-pile use by territorial males with the use by females and young in family groups, and by bachelor males. Although territorial males showed the highest dung-pile use, all individuals dropped feces on piles frequently, in contrast to what was previously observed within other guanaco populations. Besides stressing the behavioral plasticity of guanacos, these results suggest an additional adaptive function of localized-defecation other than demarcating territory ownership by the territorial male.