Comparative patterns of adrenal activity in captiv

Authors: Kerry V Fanson Nadja C Wielebnowski Tanya M Shenk Jeffrey R Lucas

Publish Date: 2011/06/30

Volume: 182, Issue: 1, Pages: 157-165

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Abstract

Stress and animal wellbeing are often assessed using concentrations of glucocorticoids GCs a product of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis However GC concentrations can also be modulated by predictable events such as changes in season or life history stage Understanding normative patterns of adrenal activity is critical for making valid conclusions about changes in GC concentrations In this study we validated an assay for monitoring fecal glucocorticoid metabolites FGM in Canada lynx We then used this technique to assess patterns of adrenal activity in Canada lynx across several contexts Our results show that captive lynx have higher FGM concentrations than wild lynx which may be related to differences in stress levels metabolic rate diet or body condition We also found that FGM concentrations are correlated with reproductive status in females but not in males For males seasonal increases in FGM expression coincide with the onset of the breeding season whereas in females FGM increase toward the end of the breeding season This information provides a valuable foundation for making inferences about normative versus stressinduced changes in adrenal activity in Canada lynxWe greatly appreciate the hard work of everyone involved in collecting fecal samples and the assistance provided by participating institutions Captive Alaska Zoo Assiniboine Park Zoo Brec’s Baton Rouge Zoo Buttonwood Park Zoo Cincinnati Zoo Botanical Garden Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Dirt Willy’s Game Bird Farm Feline Conservation Center Minnesota Zoological Gardens NOAH Feline Refuge Center Pueblo Zoo Philadelphia Zoo Salmonier Nature Park Scovill Zoo The Wildcat Sanctuary Toronto Zoo Utah’s Hogle Zoo Walk on the Wildside Feline Refuge Wild Trax Feline Refuge Wildlife Science Center Zoo America and Zoo Sauvage de St Félicien Wild Colorado Division of Wildlife Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station Special thanks to Feline Conservation Center Philadelphia Zoo Scovill Zoo and Wildlife Science Center for their participation in the ACTH challenge Thanks to Astrid Bellem and Jocelyn Bryant for technical support Funding for this project was provided by the Chicago Zoological Society/Chicago Board of Trade Purdue University and PEO International

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