Violet gland

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The violet gland or supracaudal gland is an important gland located on the upper surface of the tail of certain mammals, including European badgers and canids such as foxes, wolves and the domestic dog^[1]. It is used for scent marking and contributes to the strong odor of foxes. Although it secretes a mixture of volatile terpenes similar to those produced by violets (hence the name), the chemicals are produced in much greater quantity than in flowers and the resulting strong smell can be quite unpleasant. Like many other mammalian secretion glands, the violet gland consists of modified sweat glands and sebaceous glands.

In the European badger, the secretions of the violet gland contain a high concentration of lipids, with a composition that varies seasonally. Researchers^[who?] at the University of Oxford have identified 110 compounds produced by the violet gland using gas chromatography. It was found that specific compositions were shared among groups of badgers, while the secretions of individual badgers varied according to age, gender, health, and reproductive status.

In foxes, the violet gland is found on the upper surface of the tail, at roughly one-third of the tail's length from the body, and measures about 25 by 7.5 millimeters in red foxes. Due to its role in steroid hormone metabolism (and possibly production), foxes cannot be "de-scented" by removing this gland. For unknown reasons, the gland's secretions are fluorescent in ultraviolet light; this may result from the presence of carotenoids.