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Behavior Guide: scent Scent is an important aspect of every lion's life. Lions are extremely territorial and one of the ways they define their territory is by marking. Males mark by spraying a combination of urine and scent from two glands at the base of their tales. They mark trees, bushes and the ground, and sometimes scrape with their feet leaving a noticeable depression which itself may serve as a signal to other lions. In addition, like many other mammals, lions have a specialized organ for detecting scent. This is called the vomeronasal organ, and when using this organ, lions exhibit a facial expression called "flehmen." The flehmen face is characterized by an open mouth, a wrinkled nose and an uplifted chin.
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