Dataset Information

Linkage between fecal androgen and glucocorticoid metabolites, spermaturia, body weight and onset of puberty in male African lions (Panthera leo).

ABSTRACT: There is limited physiological information on onset of puberty in male lions. The aim of this study was to use longitudinal non-invasive monitoring to: 1) assess changes in steroid metabolite excretory patterns as a function of age and body weight; 2) determine correlations between fecal androgen (FAM) and glucocorticoid (FGM) metabolite concentrations; and 3) confirm spermiogenesis non-invasively through urinalysis. Specifically, FAM and FGM metabolites were analyzed in samples collected twice weekly from 21 male lions at 17 institutions (0.9-16 years of age) for 3.8 months- 2.5 years to assess longitudinal hormone patterns. In addition, body weights were obtained approximately monthly from 10 individuals at five zoos (0.0-3.0 years), and urine was collected from six males at two facilities (1.2-6.3 years) and evaluated for the presence of spermatozoa. An increase in overall mean FAM occurred at 2.0 years of age, at which point concentrations remained similar throughout adulthood. The onset of puberty occurred earlier in captive-born males (<1.2 years of age) compared to wild-born counterparts (<2.5 years of age). Additionally, males in captivity gained an average of 7.3 kg/month compared to 3.9 kg/month for wild males over the first 2-2.5 years of age. Sperm (spermaturia) was observed in males as young as 1.2 years in captivity compared to 2.5 years in the wild (ejaculates). There was no difference in FAM or FGM concentrations with regards to age or season. Overall, this study demonstrates that: 1) captive male lions attain puberty at an earlier age than wild counterparts; 2) onset of puberty is influenced by body weight (growth rate); and 3) spermiogenesis can be confirmed via urinalysis. Knowledge about the linkage between body weight and onset of puberty could facilitate improved reproductive management of ex situ populations via mitigating the risk of unintended breedings in young animals.

SUBMITTER: Putman SB

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6609010 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Linkage between fecal androgen and glucocorticoid metabolites, spermaturia, body weight and onset of puberty in male African lions (Panthera leo).

Putman Sarah B SB Brown Janine L JL Saffoe Craig C Franklin Ashley D AD Pukazhenthi Budhan S BS

PloS one 20190703 7

There is limited physiological information on onset of puberty in male lions. The aim of this study was to use longitudinal non-invasive monitoring to: 1) assess changes in steroid metabolite excretory patterns as a function of age and body weight; 2) determine correlations between fecal androgen (FAM) and glucocorticoid (FGM) metabolite concentrations; and 3) confirm spermiogenesis non-invasively through urinalysis. Specifically, FAM and FGM metabolites were analyzed in samples collected twice ...[more]

PMID: 31269032

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Project description:BackgroundThe long-term success of ex-situ conservation programmes depends on species-appropriate husbandry and enrichment practices complemented by an accurate welfare assessment protocol. Zoos and conservation breeding programmes should employ a bottom-up approach to account for intraspecific variations in measures of animal welfare. We studied 35 (14:21) captive Asiatic lions in Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden, Junagadh, India to understand the implications of individual variations on welfare measures. We categorized the subjects based on personality traits (bold or shy), rearing history (wild-rescued or captive-raised), sex, and social-grouping. We explored the association of these categorical variables on welfare indices such as behavioural diversity, latency to approach novel objects, enclosure usage and aberrant repetitive behaviours. Further, we assessed the inter-relationships between different behavioural measures of welfare.ResultsOur results show that intraspecific variations based on rearing-history and personality traits are significantly associated with the welfare states of captive Asiatic lions. Asiatic lions with bold personality traits (M = 0.50, SD = 0.12, N = 21) and those raised in captivity (M = 0.47, SD = 0.12, N = 16) used enclosure space more homogenously compared to shy (M = 0.71, SD = 0.15, N = 14) and wild-rescued (M = 0.67, SD = 0.15, N = 19) animals. Behaviour diversity was significantly higher in captive-raised (M = 1.26, SD = 0.3, N = 16) and bold (M = 1.23, SD = 0.26, N = 21) subjects compared to wild-rescued (M = 0.83, SD = 0.35, N = 19) and shy (M = 0.73, SD = 0.34, N = 14) individuals. Aberrant repetitive behaviours (stereotypy) were significantly lower in bold (M = 7.01, SD = 4, N = 21) and captive-raised (M = 7.74, SD = 5.3) individuals compared to wild-rescued (M = 13.12, SD = 6.25, N = 19) and shy (M = 16.13, SD = 5.4, N = 16) lions. Sex and social-grouping of subjects did not show significant associations with behavioural welfare indices. Interestingly, behaviour diversity was reliably predicted by the enclosure usage patterns and aberrant repetitive behaviours displayed by subjects.DiscussionOur findings underline the importance of individual-centric, behaviour-based, and multi-dimensional welfare assessment approaches in ex-situ conservation programmes. The results suggest that behavioural welfare indices complemented with individual variations can explain inter-individual differences in behavioural welfare measure outcomes of Asiatic lions. These findings also provide zoo managers with a non-invasive tool to reliably assess and improve husbandry practices for Asiatic lions. Understanding the unique welfare requirement of individuals in captivity will be crucial for the survival of the species.

Dataset Information

Linkage between fecal androgen and glucocorticoid metabolites, spermaturia, body weight and onset of puberty in male African lions (Panthera leo).

Publications

Linkage between fecal androgen and glucocorticoid metabolites, spermaturia, body weight and onset of puberty in male African lions (Panthera leo).

Similar Datasets

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