Some experimental tests of the functional significance of scent-marking by gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).

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Abstract
The functional significance of male gerbil scent-marks was investigated. Males in a novel test environment marked more, groomed more, and urinated less in the presence of odors of a strange male than in their absence. Female odors elicited male marking more than did male odors. Females were selectively less aggressive toward familiar-smelling males in comparison with unfamiliar-smelling males. These results, in conjunction with field observations of related species, call into question the hypothesis that gerbil scent-marks function territorially and instead suggest that the primary targets are adult females.