Why Do Monkeys Smell Their Babies Bottoms?

Something About Scents. Scent glands are generally found in the anogenital area, chest and armpits. They secrete a semi-liquid collection of chemicals. A monkey seen sniffing another's butt is simply gathering information from these glands at the base of the tail.

Why do monkeys smell bums?

Mandrills, a type of monkey found only in rain forests in Africa, sniff dung to figure out if another mandrill has parasites; if the smell test is positive, the monkeys avoid contact with the infected members of their group, according to a new study.

Why do monkeys smell their own poop?

It turns out the mandrill—a seriously social member of the Old World monkey family—has a similar strategy. Sort of. To avoid spreading parasites through the group, the monkeys avoid grooming someone—an otherwise common social activity—if their poop smells off.