Flank, golden hamster

Vasilieva, N. Y. (1994) Social cues influencing reproductive characteristics in Golden hamsters the role of male flank gland secretion, vaginal discharge and litter composition. Advances in the Biosciences 93, 317-323. 

Cohen, A.B., Johnston, R. and Kwon, A. (2001) How golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) discriminate top from bottom flank scents in over marks. J. Comp. Psychol. 115, 241-247. 

In the golden hamster, M. auratus, both dominant and subordinate males use the flank glands to communicate their social status to inhibit overt aggression during encounters (Ferris etal., 1987). However, they do not need their flank glands to develop dominant/subordinate relationships. 

The function of the flank gland of the golden hamster, Mesocricetus auratus, is not clear but it appears to be involved in signals of sexual and social status and familiarity of the male to the female. Sexually receptive females spend more time near flank scent marks of intact males than castrates, or clean controls. They also stay longer near marks from familiar males than novel males. Finally, these females spend more time near marks of dominant males (compared with subordinate males) (Montgomery-St. Laurent etal, 1988). 

Effects of gonadal hormones on the flank gland of the golden hamster. Hormone Research 4,18-33. 

Johnston, R., 1975, Scent-marking by male golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), II, The role of the flank gland in causation of marking,... 

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