Non-invasive assessment of fecal glucocorticoid and androgen metabolites in the pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis)
The pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) is an endangered species endemic to the Upper Guinea Forest ecosystem in West Africa. We have limited information concerning the species’ reproduction and well-being under managed care. We therefore developed non-invasive methods for characterizing gonadal androgen and adrenal hormone profiles in pygmy hippos using fecal samples collected from 12 males […]
Noninvasive Monitoring of Hormones in Bird Droppings: Physiological Validation, Sampling, Extraction, Sex Differences, and the Influence of Diet on Hormone Metabolite Levels
During the past several years, the noninvasive measurement of steroid metabolites from mammalian feces and bird droppings has become more and more popular. With an increasing acceptance of the method, investigators may become less aware of the need to validate their assays. It is shown why such validations are essential for each new species investigated […]
Using non-invasive faecal hormone metabolite monitoring to detect reproductive patterns, seasonality and pregnancy in red river hogs (Potamochoerus porcus)
Few studies have been conducted on red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus) reproductive biology in zoos. Furthermore, in spite of regular breeding efforts in zoos, reproductive success has been relatively poor for this species, particularly in the North American population. In this study, we used faecal hormone metabolite monitoring to analyse near daily samples from two […]