Animal communication networks are built from interactions between senders and receivers of signals. The drivers of signaling decisions, which are the building blocks of such networks, are not well understood. Theory predicts that conditions which ensure information spread to the largest possible number of receivers should be favored. Several carnivores use latrine sites for visual, olfactory, and auditory signaling. We tested the hypotheses that signaling behavior at latrine sites is influenced by social structure and locally acquired information on the presence of conspecifics, using coastal river otters (Lontra canadensis), in Alaska. River otters exhibit a flexible social system of mostly males that communicate through scent marking at latrines. During scent marking, river otters also perform feet stomping, which may add a visual component to their signal. Using trail camera footage, we found that solitary otters were more likely to perform both sniffing and scent marking compared with otters in groups. Feet stomping was more intense for solitary otters but less pronounced during overmarking. Signalers demonstrated a greater tendency to scent mark when in smaller groups at highly active latrines, whereas feet stomping was more intense in recently visited sites. When in groups, scent-marking frequency increased when other individuals were signaling, suggesting a positive feedback, possibly driven by feet stomping. In concert, our results suggest that in river otters, scent-marking decisions minimize signal dilution by being performed in small groups and maximize the receivers through preferential signaling at latrines with higher, more recent activity. Because signaling decisions in social animals are linked to key life-history events such as mating and group membership shifts, understanding their individual and population-level drivers can be crucial.

中文翻译：

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社会性和信号活动调节水獭通信网络中的信息流

动物通信网络是由信号的发送者和接收者之间的相互作用建立的。信令决策的驱动程序是这种网络的组成部分，人们对此知之甚少。理论预测，应确保确保信息传播到尽可能多的接收者的条件。几个食肉动物使用厕所位置进行视觉，嗅觉和听觉信号传递。我们使用沿海河獭（Lontra canadensis）检验了以下假设：厕所位置的信号传导行为受社会结构和当地获得的有关种的存在的信息的影响），在阿拉斯加。水獭展示了一种灵活的社会系统，其中大多数是男性，它们通过厕所上的气味标记进行交流。在气味标记过程中，水獭还会踩脚，这可能会在其信号中添加视觉成分。通过追踪摄像机的镜头，我们发现与水獭成群相比，单独的水獭更有可能同时进行嗅探和气味标记。对于单独的水獭，脚踩踏更为剧烈，但在过度打标期间则不太明显。当在活动活跃的厕所中的小组人数较少时，信号器表现出更大的气味标记倾向，而在最近访问的场所中，脚踩踏现象更为强烈。当成群时，其他人发信号时，气味标记的频率会增加，表明是积极的反馈，可能是脚踩着脚。在演唱会，我们的研究结果表明，在水獭中，气味标记决策可以通过在小组中执行来最大程度地减少信号稀释，并通过在具有较高更新活动的厕所中优先发出信号来最大化接收器。由于社交动物中的信号决定与重要的生命历史事件（例如交配和群体成员转移）相关，因此了解它们的个体和种群驱动因素可能至关重要。