Chin glands, rabbit

Hayes, R.A., Richardson, B.J., Claus, S.C. and Wyllie, S.G. (2002) Semiochemicals and social signalling in the wild European rabbit in Australia II. Variations in chemical composition of chin gland secretion across sampling sites. J. Chem. Ecol. 28, 2613-2625 Heckel, G., Voigt, C.C., Mayer, F. and von Helversen, O. (1999) Extra-harem paternity in the white-lined bat Saccopteryx bilineata. Behaviour 136, 1173-1185... 

Frontalin in the temporal gland secretion of Asian elephants is bound to elephant albumin (Schulte etal, 2005). The bulk of the secretion of the chin gland of the rabbit is protein (Goodrich and Mykytowycz, 1972). 

Keeper substances in a scent secretion, and/or the nature of the substrate such as rock, wood or soil, impart longevity to a scent mark. In our own studies, scent marks of captive pronghorn, A. americana, were still noticeable to the human nose 4 months after all animals had been removed from a pen. Similarly, scent marks of the aardwolf, Proteks cristatus, last for up to 6 months (Apps etal, 1989). 2-Phenoxyethanol in the secretions from the chin gland of the rabbit is typical in dominant animals, serving as a fixative to extend the life of the signal (Hayes etal, 2001). 

Rabbits, 0. cuniculus, chin-mark (Fig. 6.4) near their warren entrances and at boundaries to neighboring groups. Only the dominant male marks. This has been demonstrated by comparing gas chromatograms of the chin gland... 

Dominant males of the European rabbit, 0. cuniculus, have 2-phenoxyethanol in their chin gland secretion. Behaviorally subordinate males lack this compound. When a subordinate becomes dominant after removal of the originally dominant male, 2-phenoxyethanol starts showing up in his secretion. The perfume industry uses this compound as a fixative. Rabbits perhaps also employ this... 

Wild European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus More in center Chin gland secretion Hayes etal., 2002... 

Hayes, R. A., Richardson, B. J., and Wyllie, S. G. (2001). Increased social dominance in rabbits, Oryctalus cuniculus, is associated with increased secretion of 2-phenoxyethanol from the chin gland. In Chemical Signals in Vertebrates, vol. 9, ed. A. Marchlewska-Koi, J. J. Lepri, and D. Miiller-Schwarze, pp. 335-341. New York Kluwer Aca-demic/Plenum. 

Semiochemicals and social signaling in the wild European rabbit in Australia I. Scent profiles of chin gland secretion from the field. Journal of Chemical Ecology 28, 363-384. 

Mykytowycz, R. (1965). Further observations on the territorial function and histology of the submandibular cutaneous (chin) glands in the rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.). Animal Behaviour 13,400-412. 

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