# Humans and territorial urination? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 20, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863 "2005-11-20T00:53:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jocularjason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b2d939/32.png) [@jocularjason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jocularjason)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/1 "2005-11-20T00:53:20Z")
I was camping with some friends the other night and realized that every time I got up to take a leak I would walk to a nearby tree or bush and pee on that. As I was in deep thought pissing away the better part of a six pack of PBR I wondered why I was peeing ON something rather than just peeing randomly into the darkness. When I returned to the campfire I watched as my other friends did the same thing. They picked a tree or bush nearby and peed ON it. (Ladies excluded–They tended to vanish into the night in pairs and pee in an unseen location.) My question is: Is this some sort of inherited animal instinct? Did territorial pissing once serve a similar function in proto-humans the way it does now in dogs (and the much celebrated fire hydrant)? Are there primates that use urine to mark territory today? ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/2 "2005-11-20T01:31:42Z")
I have no idea, but I’ve often wondered why men pee _on_ something, and women just, well, pee. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/3 "2005-11-20T01:35:35Z")
> [@](#): > > Are there primates that use urine to mark territory today? Yes, though they tend to be on the more primitive end of the spectrum. Lorises and lemurs, along with several species of new world monkeys, will rub their hands or other parts of their bodies with urine (known as “urine-washing”), so to leave a trail of scent wherever they go. I don’t believe any spray urine on objects in the manner of dogs and cats, though I suppose it’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/4 "2005-11-20T07:49:10Z")
I doubt it. Man does not have the olfactory glands that long nosed critters have. I’m thinking its just a past time like writing your name in the snow. And maybe showing off a little. “Hey girls try this” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/5 "2005-11-20T14:00:32Z")
Urinal training? elimiate the chance of walking on that spot later? sense of modisty (your willy is hidden from view)? sense of security (hiding behind a large object)? During construction there was a working toilet in this huge open area (at least 30x40 ft), right in the middle of the space. It was set up so people working had somewhere to go before the area was finished - and there was one door, fully lockable from inside. It felt very uncomfortable going in this place, the openness was bothersome, though I knew no one could come in. I think there is a natural desire to go in a place semi-closed in. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/6 "2005-11-20T14:15:57Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > I have no idea, but I’ve often wondered why men pee _on_ something, and women just, well, pee. I don’t think women are physically capable of peeing _on_ something. Well, not trees, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/7 "2005-11-20T17:51:59Z")
Yes, actually we are. It’s just that our aim ain’t so good, having (so to speak) shotguns rather than precision rifles. Though when in the woods I tend to pee _behind_ something rather than on it, as concealment from curious, prying eyes, and only after checking to make sure there isn’t anything beneath that would become irate at being peed upon. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/8 "2005-11-22T03:50:56Z")
And some turf marking is necessary. My neighbor in back got a dog a couple of years ago. The little mutt yapped his ass off at me whenever I would go behind the garage to the woodshed to get the makings for a nice fire. One night, I got tired of the yapping, turned around and let fly on the wooden fence. I made sure that I painted several boards. That dog has never barked at me again. I like to amuse myself by imagining the thoughts crossing his mind: “Holy woof!! If he can hoist his leg and pee that much, that high, and cover that much turf, I better shut the hell up!!!”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/9 "2005-11-22T04:04:49Z")
I am a guy that has peed on many things. I wanted to respond that there is a perfectly rational reason that separates our behavior from animals. Then I thought, no there probably isn’t, that same “must pee on tree” feeling is probably the same one my dog gets. Good question. ---
**Author:** ![Gerome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@Gerome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gerome)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/10 "2005-11-22T13:11:21Z")
Perhaps men pee on things simply because it gives us something to aim at, ensuring we don’t accidentally hit our foot or something? ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/11 "2005-11-22T13:28:57Z")
Brings to mind a quote from Jack Handy that goes something like this: “I read that, in order to attract females, the male deer urinates all over himself. What a coincidence!” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/12 "2005-11-22T13:33:11Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > I have no idea, but I’ve often wondered why men pee _on_ something, and women just, well, pee. Counterexample: My cousin knows a lot of crazy middle-aged single women living in the country in upstate NY. One of my favorites said she keeps deer away from the house by sprinkling the yard with her own pee. (In a _watering can,_ she’s not _that_ crazy.) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/13 "2005-11-22T14:46:12Z")
In the movie **Never Cry Wolf** the main character, studying wolves in the Arctic, goes around the perimeter of his “compound”, drinking tea and peeing to mark his boundaries. It seems to work. The movie’s based on a real book by Farley Moway (?), which I read but can’t recall, but I assume he really did tyhis in the wilderness. I find it hard to believe that humans do this for scent marking. ou can smell urine in enclosed spaces, but I know I’d miss such scent markers outdoors. ---
**Author:** ![Nature\_s\_Call](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nature_s_call/32/19006_2.png) [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/14 "2005-11-22T15:08:37Z")
Richard Feynman, in his book [Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393316041/104-9248899-9999162?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance), describes an interesting exploration human smell ability. He too wondered why humans seem to be so lacking in this regard compared to animals. I forget all of the details, but he went through a series of smell exercises. By the end, he had his wife hold her hand on one of several books and he was able, by smell alone, to tell her which she had selected. So maybe we _could_ still identify who pwns that tree if we trained up for it - but such training is lax in our current culture. ---
**Author:** ![Nature\_s\_Call](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nature_s_call/32/19006_2.png) [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/15 "2005-11-22T17:01:47Z")
[The smell of gayness](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345989) - linked to without comment. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/16 "2005-11-22T17:06:22Z")
I think the real question here is: can other animals write their _name_ with it in the snow? Inquiring minds want to know. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/17 "2005-11-22T17:32:54Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > I have no idea, but I’ve often wondered why men pee _on_ something, and women just, well, pee. It’s the same for dogs - females squat and pee on the ground, males usually pee _on_ trees and poles. (Actually, mine stopped doing that after getting neutered. Is that common?) But for humans, I don’t think it’s an issue of peeing _on_ something, but of having a barrier to hide behind while we’re vulnerable. Peeing on a 3"-diameter pole is no more satisfying than peeing out in the open. A big bush or tree provides a lot more peace of mind. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/18 "2005-11-22T17:36:49Z")
\*\*In it. NOT at it.\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/19 "2005-11-22T17:45:42Z")
By going on the tree rather than next to it, you: 1. Have maximum barrier protection 2. Avoid having your pee make a mud puddle in the dirt that begins to splash up after a second or two 3. Avoid having your pee accidentally trickle back at your foot on the ground. You don’t have to worry about whether your are peeing “uphill” if it all ends up on the tree. ---
**Author:** ![Nature\_s\_Call](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nature_s_call/32/19006_2.png) [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-and-territorial-urination/331863/20 "2005-11-22T19:57:14Z")
For me it’s more a boredom breaker than cleanliness strategy (unless that’s just a rationalization of my instinctual behaviour). It’s kinda the same as why the fly on the urinal is going to get soaked.