Noninvasive Fecal Monitoring of Hormones in Female Cheetahs

Pavla Konečná

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Successful breeding in captivity is essential for creating a sustainable population of cheetahs, in order to prevent their complete disappearance from the wild. Howerver, it is not easy due to several complications: (1) it is very difficult to determine if a female is in estrus; (2) female cheetahs are not always willing to mate with a selected male; (3) the conception rate and litter size is low in captive-bred cheetahs; and (4) the cub mortality rate is very high. In order to find a solution for the problems related to breeding cheetahs, it is necessary to obtain as much knowledge as possible. One of the aims of this research was to determine estradiol and progesterone metabolites excreted in faeces in cheetahs. I also tested how vocal and olfactory stimulation by male cheetah factors (voice, scent) influences the ovarian acivity in conspecific females using non-invasive method of monitoring sex steroids in faeces. In this study, 3 female cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) from the zoo Olomouc (Czech Republic) were exposed to audio and olfactory stimulation in order to determine its effect on female ovarian ativity. Fecal material from a resident male was used as the olfactory stimulus and a vocal record of an unknown cheetah male was used as the vocal stimulus. Fecal samples were collected daily for 44 days, sex steroid hormones were extracted and analysed by HPLC-MS/MS. The results showed a significant increase in estradiol concentrations in all females subjected to the stimulation, suggesting that acoustic and olfactory communication plays an important role in cheetah reproduction. Similar stimulation of a female prior to breeding might increase her willingness to mate and ensure better breeding success. Additionally, estradiol and progesterone metabolites were identified, including glucuronids, which are believed to be rarely produced by cats.

Keywords

Acinonyx jubatus, estradiol, ovarian activity, progesterone, steroid metabolite

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 22. 4. 2016

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedúci: Ing. Tamara Fedorova, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme / odbor:
Tropical Agriculture / Wildlife Management in the Tropics and Subtropics