Construction Scent Glands Mammals have three distinct sorts of glands which give off substances to the surface of the body. None of these occur in reptiles. They are sweat glands, mammary glands and scent glands.
Smells are vitally important to most mammals.
Even humans, with our much reduced olfactory senses, are greatly affected by smells hence the success of the perfume industry and of aromatherapy. In other mammals scent is an integral part of every day communication with the rest of the world. Through smell animals can tell what other species of animals share their world and within a species specially deposited scents pass on information concerning an individual's sex, social status, breeding condition and state of health. Scent glands then are very important and occur in a variety of places around the mammal body. Many mammals have more than one set of scent glands.