Research overview: scent marking and territory advertisement in lions

Alongside roaring, lions use scent marking to advertise territory and reproductive status. This overview surveys research on lion olfactory communication, including urine spraying onto vegetation, scrape marks, and rubbing that deposit long-lasting signals along boundaries and travel routes. It discusses how males mark intensively to signal tenure, how females convey reproductive condition, and how scent complements the long-distance information carried by roars in regulating contests and spacing between prides and coalitions. It connects chemical signalling to the social and territorial dynamics of the only group-living cat. The topic shows how even a vocal, social felid relies heavily on persistent scent marks to manage its territory.