Epizoochory is dispersal on the outside of animals.
The mucilage has been assumed to be instrumental in adhering the mericarps to animals (Ridley, 1930; Melcher et al., 2000; Melendo et al., 2003; Sales et al., 2010), but direct, observational evidence for epizoochory of mucilaginous Salvia mericarps is lacking.
Furthermore, the specific role of large wild mammals, including wild boar Sus scrofa, bison Bison bonasus, deer and hare as dispersers of plant seeds, by both endozoochory and epizoochory, is increasingly recognised (Heinken et al.
Heliophytes either dispersed by endozoochory, epizoochory or wind dispersal will not persist as canopy closure occurs, unlike shade-tolerant perennial woodland specialists.
Peccaries may disperse seeds through either
epizoochory or endozoochory.
Van der Pijl (1969) further divided zoochory into two sub-syndromes: endozoochory (internal seed transportation) and
epizoochory (external seed transportation).
Thus, Nee (1979, 1991) proposed
epizoochory by birds as a dispersal mechanism for this species and for S.
Ants, birds, and mammals are the most important dispersal agents, and there are three main ways of dispersal:
epizoochory, dyszoochory, and endozoochory.
In comparison to endozoochoxy, the external dispersal of seeds by animals via attachment to the body,
epizoochory (cf., van der Piji, 1982), has the potential to be transported greater distances, particularly when the individual host is unaware that the seeds' presence (Bullock and Primack, 1977).
Adhesive grass spikelet with ammalian hair in Dominican amher: First fossil evidence of
epizoochory. Experientia 48: 906-908.