228 Department of Conservation of Louisiana 



Scent Glands 



Many of the fur animals have special scent glands in 

 modified portions of the skin, often involuted to form a shal- 

 low recess or deep sac with narrow openings, and secret- 

 ing odorous substances. Such scent glands are to be found 

 in the muskrat, mink, skunk, weasel, and otter, and it is 

 from such scent glands, secreting a musky substance, that 

 the muskrat obtained its common name. 



It is believed through the aid of an odorous scent that 

 wild animals are able to become aware of the presence of 

 other members of the species, even at great distances. Very 

 generally these glands are common to both sexes, and it is 

 in such cases that their function as a means of mutual 

 recognition is most evident. It has been long stated that 

 when these scent glands are confined to the male animal 

 their function is without doubt sexual, and that the secre- 

 tion forms part of the attraction stimulus to the other sex. 

 Recent research seems to prove that this is true also when 

 scent sacs are possessed by both sexes, and in the case of 

 the muskrat, the musky odor is detected at its strongest 

 when the mating season is on, for both the male and the 

 female have the sacs. 



Muskrat Voices 



Muskrats are generally supposed to be without a voice, 

 but this is not the case, as the young are quite vociferous, 

 and captive animals occasionally show vocal powers. One 

 that had been caught in a trap was too far exhausted to 

 be revived and made a pitiful moaning little cry as if in 

 pain and despair. On several occasions Vernon Bailey has 

 heard a querulous little quarreling note from one or two 

 females kept in a large cage together, but occupying one 

 nest box, a little "quer, quer" note of scolding at the other, 

 who may have taken up more than her share of the room 

 or bed. 



They often make a chattering noise with the teeth, 

 sometimes a threatening sound or sign of anger, and again 

 a sliding, squeaking sound of the molars rubbed together 

 in chewing or to sharpen and clean them, but these are not 

 vocal sounds, as Bailey has pointed out. 



