Scientists discovered that polar bears have naturally smelly fee which allows them to leave their scents so others can find them.
The scent allows bears to communicate within a territory and ultimately aids them to find their mates. The finding explains why bears are occasionally seen sniffing each other's tracks.
Study leader Megan Owen of the Institute for Conservation Research at Zan Diego Zoo, California worked with researchers from Polar Bears International and the U.S. Geological Survey to learn more about this sniffing behavior.
"Effective communication is essential for successful reproduction in solitary, wide-ranging animals," said Dr. Owen in a news release. "Developing an understanding of how communication is tied to the environment may enhance our ability to predict the impacts of rapid environmental change on populations."
The researchers collected 203 samples of polar bear scents living near the southern Beaufort Sea or the Chukchi Sea in the Arctic Ocean. These scents were brought to ten male polar bears and 16 females from different zoos across North America. The team observed that the males were drawn by the paw scents of females while the females were attracted to the male scents, according to BBC.
The observations suggest that polar bears use their smelly feet to communicate with each other. Bears can differentiate genders because the females have stronger sweat glands that are associated with sexual or reproductive status.
But researchers are worried this sniffing behavior might not last long due to climate change. The warmer temperature in their natural habitat makes it harder for them to leave scents behind. If that persists, bears will not be able to follow each other and mate.
"Scent communication is instrumental in both managing aggression and motivating reproductive interest in solitary species," said Owen. "Scent communication plays a vital role in regulating social behavior and this is particularly important during the breeding season."
Further details of the study were published in the Nov. 4 issue of the Journal of Zoology.
