Ovarian cycle approach by rectal temperature and fecal progesterone in a female killer whale, Orcinus orca

Zoo Biology
Satoshi KusudaOsamu Doi

Abstract

This study aimed to validate the measurements of body temperature and fecal progesterone concentrations as minimally invasive techniques for assessing ovarian cycle in a single sexually mature female killer whale. Rectal temperature data, fecal and blood samples were collected in the dorsal position using routine husbandry training on a voluntary basis. The correlations between rectal temperature and plasma progesterone concentration and between fecal and plasma progesterone concentrations were investigated. Fecal progesterone metabolites were identified by a combination of high-performance liquid chromatography and enzyme immunoassay. Plasma progesterone concentrations (range: 0.2-18.6 ng/ml) and rectal temperature (range: 35.3-35.9°C) changed cyclically, and cycle lengths were an average (±SD) of 44.9±4.0 days (nine cycles) and 44.6±5.9 days (nine cycles), respectively. Rectal temperature positively correlated with the plasma progesterone concentrations (r=0.641, P<0.01). There was a visual trend for fecal progesterone profiles to be similar to circulating plasma progesterone profiles. Fecal immunoreactive progestagen analysis resulted in a marked immunoreactive peak of progesterone. The data from the single killer whale indi...Continue Reading

References

Apr 11, 1975·The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition·J A Owen
Apr 1, 1970·Endocrinology·M E FreemanE K Inskeep
Oct 1, 1995·The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science·S Hirata, Y Mori
Jun 7, 2005·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Rosalind M RollandSamuel K Wasser
Nov 9, 2005·The Journal of Reproduction and Development·Etsuko KatsumataKazuyoshi Taya
Nov 19, 2005·The Journal of Reproduction and Development·Etsuko KatsumataKazuyoshi Taya
Oct 21, 2006·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Kendall L Mashburn, Shannon Atkinson
Jun 26, 2007·The Journal of Reproduction and Development·Satoshi KusudaOsamu Doi

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Citations

Jan 1, 2020·Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology·Jacob D NegreyKevin E Langergraber

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