Anogenital glands

Hayes, R.A., Morelli, T.L. and Wright, RC. (2004) Anogenital gland secretions of Lemur catta and Propithecus verreauxi coquereli A preliminary chemical examination. Am. J. Primatol. 63, 49-62. 

The ring-tailed lemur is probably the best studied species of prosimian, and much has been published on scent-marking behaviour in this species, especially with respect to the anogenital gland. Little is known about the olfactory behavior of P. v. coquereli (Brockman and Whitten, 1996),... 

Deodorants are also targeted to the skin surface to keep microbial growth in check. They slow or prevent rancidification of the secretions of apocrine glands found in and around the axillae (armpits) and the anogenital regions. Medicated soaps also belong in this family. 

Flumans possess glands that produce potential pheromones, known as scent or apocrine glands. They are associated with hair follicles primarily in the underarm or the anogenital regions (pubic hair) and on the skin of the abdomen. The role of the hair in these locations may be to facilitate release of the pheromone into the atmosphere. 

The throat glands from P. v. coquereli, on the other hand, are different from the anogenital swabs of males of both species (ANOSIM R = 0.736, P = 0.016). However, the pairwise comparison test between the throat gland and both the antebrachial and brachial glands showed no difference, likely due to the small number of replicates. 

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