Summary: Nie et al. (2012)

 Animals signal in a variety of ways, one of which is scent marking. Scent marking can provide information on the sex, age and reproductive status of individuals, but is energetically costly and relies on optimizing opportunity efficiency. Animals need to consider where scent should be placed in the environment in order to maximize the detection probability by receivers, while minimizing these costs. Giant pandas Ailuropoda melanoleuca are solitary and rely on chemical cues to distribute and gain information. Nie et al. (2012) investigated the scent-marking patterns of pandas living in Foping Nature reserve and found that scent marks were not posted randomly, but were targeted at specific trees. These trees increased the range and likelihood of detection of scents, and also promoted signal persistence. Nie et al. (2012) also found that pandas used different scent-marking behaviour, depending on the characteristic of the tree (either urine marks or anogenital marks). They also suggest that marking patterns vary depending on the season and the sexual status of animals, which could be important in a reproductive and competitive context.