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Bragg M, Muletz-Wolz CR, Songsasen N, Freeman EW. Kibble diet is associated with higher faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in zoo-managed red wolves ( Canis rufus). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coae008. [PMID: 38414659 PMCID: PMC10898788 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coae008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The red wolf (Canis rufus) is a critically endangered canid that exists solely because of the establishment of the ex situ population in the late 1980s. Yet, the population under human care suffers from gastrointestinal (GI) disease in captivity. While the cause of GI disease is unknown, it is speculated that environmental factors can influence GI health of zoo-managed red wolves. The goal of the present study was to investigate the relationship between faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations, a biomarker for stress, and environmental factors for zoo-managed red wolves. Faecal samples were collected from 14 adult wolves three times a week for 5 to 12 months. Using a single-antibody cortisol enzyme immunoassay, FGM concentrations were quantified. Environmental factors were collected for each participating wolf on dietary type, sex, type of public access to enclosure, density (enclosure size [ft2]/number of wolves living in enclosure) and a monthly average status of GI health. Red wolves that ate a commercial kibble diet had both higher FGM concentrations over time and higher baseline FGM concentrations compared to individuals that received commercial kibble mixed with commercial meat. Density, public access or GI health were not related to FGM concentration; however, males had higher baseline FGM concentrations compared to female red wolves. Our findings suggest that management conditions, particularly diet, can strongly influence FGM concentration in the zoo-managed red wolf population. Findings from this study highlight the importance of management choices on individual welfare. Maintaining a healthy captive population of red wolves is imperative for the persistence of the species, including successful future reintroductions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Bragg
- Environmental Science and Policy Department, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr. Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
- Center for Conservation Genetics, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC, 20008 USA
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Carly R Muletz-Wolz
- Center for Conservation Genetics, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC, 20008 USA
| | - Nucharin Songsasen
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Elizabeth W Freeman
- School of Integrative Studies, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr. Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
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Bandeli M, Mellor EL, Kroshko J, Maherali H, Mason GJ. The welfare problems of wide-ranging Carnivora reflect naturally itinerant lifestyles. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230437. [PMID: 37680500 PMCID: PMC10480699 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Carnivora with naturally small home ranges readily adjust to the evolutionarily new environment of captivity, but wider-ranging species seem prone to stress. Understanding why would advance both collection planning and enclosure design. We therefore investigated which aspects of wide-ranging lifestyles are key. We identified eight correlates of home range size (reflecting energetic needs, movement, intra-specific interactions, and itinerant lifestyles). We systematically assessed whether these correlates predict welfare better than range size per se, using data on captive juvenile mortality (from 13 518 individuals across 42 species) and stereotypic route-tracing (456 individuals, 27 species). Naturally itinerant lifestyles (quantified via ratios of daily to annual travel distances) were found to confer risk, predicting greater captive juvenile losses and stereotypic time-budgets. This finding advances our understanding of the evolutionary basis for welfare problems in captive Carnivora, helping explain why naturally sedentary species (e.g. American mink) may breed even in intensive farm conditions, while others (e.g. polar bears, giant pandas) can struggle even in modern zoos and conservation breeding centres. Naturally itinerant lifestyles involve decision-making, and strategic shifts between locations, suggesting that supplying more novelty, cognitive challenge and/or opportunities for control will be effective ways to meet these animals' welfare needs in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda Bandeli
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emma L. Mellor
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jeanette Kroshko
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hafiz Maherali
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Georgia J. Mason
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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de Carvalho JC, Souza FF, Kastelic JP, Ferreira JCP. Reproduction in South American wild canids—A review. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:986030. [PMID: 36353253 PMCID: PMC9637898 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.986030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Canids occupy the top of the food chain and are fundamental in sustaining a wild animal/environmental balance. South America, the most biodiverse continent, has 11 species of canids inhabiting diverse biomes, with or without overlapping territories. Although several species are threatened, little is known about their reproductive biology. Remarkably, basic knowledge regarding ejaculate characteristics, sexual behavior, female reproductive cycles, pregnancy and management, and parturition are scarce or absent. These gaps complicate or preclude development of conservation programs. This review compiles the current knowledge of the reproductive biology of South American canids and discusses implications of this scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaqueline Candido de Carvalho
- Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
- Santo Amaro University, UNISA, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabiana Ferreira Souza
- Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - John Patrick Kastelic
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - João Carlos Pinheiro Ferreira
- Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
- *Correspondence: João Carlos Pinheiro Ferreira
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Jones MK, Huff TB, Freeman EW, Songsasen N. Differential expression of urinary volatile organic compounds by sex, male reproductive status, and pairing status in the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256388. [PMID: 34415938 PMCID: PMC8378691 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is an induced ovulator. Though the mechanism of ovulation induction remains unknown, it is suspected to be urinary chemical signals excreted by males. This study assessed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in weekly urine samples across 5 months from 13 maned wolves (6 intact males, 1 neutered male, 6 females) with the goal of identifying VOCs that are differentially expressed across sex, reproductive status, and pairing status. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to extract and separate VOCs that were identified via spectral matching with authentic standards, with spectral libraries, or with new software that further matches molecular fragment structures with mass spectral peaks. Two VOCs were present across all 317 urine samples: 2,5-dimethyl pyrazine and 2-methyl-6-(1-propenyl)-pyrazine. Fifteen VOCs differed significantly (Adj. P < 0.001 and |log2 fold change| >2.0) between intact males and females. Using partial least squares-discriminant analysis, the compounds with the highest importance to the sex classification were delta-decalactone, delta-dodecalactone, and bis(prenyl) sulfide. Sixty-two VOCs differed between intact males and the neutered male. Important classifier compounds were 3-ethyl 2,5-dimethyl pyrazine, 2-methyl-6-(1-propenyl)-pyrazine, and tetrahydro-2-isopentyl-5-propyl furan. Several VOCs established as important here have been implicated in reproductive communication in other mammals. This study is the most robust examination of differential expression in the maned wolf thus far and provides the most comprehensive analysis of maned wolf urinary VOCs to date, increasing the sample size substantially over previous chemical communication studies in this species. New data analysis software allowed for the identification of compounds in the hormone-producing mevalonate pathway which were previously unreported in maned wolf urine. Several putative semiochemicals were identified as good candidates for behavioral bioassays to determine their role in maned wolf reproduction, and specifically in ovulation induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke K. Jones
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Thomas B. Huff
- Shared Research Instrumentation Facility, George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth W. Freeman
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America
- School of Integrative Studies, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Nucharin Songsasen
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America
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Moraes RN, Laske TG, Leimgruber P, Stabach JA, Marinari PE, Horning MM, Laske NR, Rodriguez JV, Eye GN, Kordell JE, Gonzalez M, Eyring T, Lemons C, Helmick KE, Delaski KM, Ware LH, Jones JC, Songsasen N. Inside out: heart rate monitoring to advance the welfare and conservation of maned wolves ( Chrysocyon brachyurus). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab044. [PMID: 34188936 PMCID: PMC8224209 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic change is a major threat to individual species and biodiversity. Yet the behavioral and physiological responses of animals to these changes remain understudied. This is due to the technological challenges in assessing these effects in situ. Using captive maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus, n = 6) as a model, we deployed implantable biologgers and collected physiological data on heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) over a 1-year period. To test for links between HR and changes in the environment we analysed HR daily rhythms and responses to potential stressors (e.g. physical restraint, change in housing conditions, short-distance transportation and unfamiliar human presence). The 2-min HR averages ranged from 33 to 250 bpm, with an overall rest average of 73 bpm and a maximum of 296 bpm. On average, HRV was higher in females (227 ± 51 ms) than in males (151 ± 51 ms). As expected, HR increased at dusk and night when animals were more active and in response to stressors. Sudden decreases in HR were observed during transportation in three wolves, suggestive of fear bradycardia. We provide the first non-anesthetic HR values for the species and confirm that behaviour does not always reflect the shifts in autonomic tone in response to perceived threats. Because strong HR responses often were not revealed by observable changes in behaviour, our findings suggest that the number and variety of stressors in ex situ or in situ environments for maned wolves and most wildlife species may be underestimated. Our study also shows that integrating biologging with behavioral observations can provide vital information to guide captive management. Similar technology can be used to advance in situ research for developing more effective welfare, management and conservation plans for the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosana N Moraes
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
- Department of Physiology, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR, 81530-900, Brazil
| | - Timothy G Laske
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- AF Solutions, Medtronic Inc., Mounds View, MN, 55112, USA
| | - Peter Leimgruber
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Jared A Stabach
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Paul E Marinari
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Megan M Horning
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Noelle R Laske
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Juan V Rodriguez
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
- Department of Parks and Recreation, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning commission, Clinton, MD, 20735, USA
| | - Ginger N Eye
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Jessica E Kordell
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Marissa Gonzalez
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Tom Eyring
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Christopher Lemons
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Kelly E Helmick
- Department of Conservation Medicine, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Kristina M Delaski
- Department of Conservation Medicine, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Lisa H Ware
- Department of Conservation Medicine, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Julia C Jones
- Department of Conservation Medicine, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Nucharin Songsasen
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
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Jowett S, Amory J. The stability of social prominence and influence in a dynamic sow herd: A social network analysis approach. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Cerutti RD, Giannetto C, Scaglione MC, Sciabarrasi A, Fazio F, Piccione G. Interspecies comparison of daily total locomotor activity between maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) maintained in captivity. J Vet Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2021.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Spanò N, Cerutti RD, Rizzo M, Alberghina D, Scaglione MC, Bagilet AS, Giannetto C, Piccione G. Evaluation of the patterns of daily total locomotor activity in maned wolf ( Chryosocyon brachyurus) maintained in captivity. BIOL RHYTHM RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/09291016.2019.1608728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nunziacarla Spanò
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Image, University of Messina, Italy
| | - Raúl Delmar Cerutti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad National del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Maria Rizzo
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Daniela Alberghina
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | | | | | - Claudia Giannetto
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Piccione
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
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Nagashima JB, Songsasen N. Canid Reproductive Biology: Norm and Unique Aspects in Strategies and Mechanisms. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:653. [PMID: 33804569 PMCID: PMC8001368 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproductive physiology of canids is unique compared to other mammalian species. Specifically, the reproductive cycle of female canids is characterized by extended periods of proestrus and estrus followed by obligatory diestrus and protracted ovarian inactivity (anestrus). Although canid reproduction follows this general pattern, studies have shown variations in reproductive biology among species and geographic regions. Understanding of these differences is critical to the development of assisted reproductive technologies including estrus induction, gamete rescue, and embryo production techniques for canid conservation efforts. This review summarizes current knowledge of canid reproduction, including estrus cyclicity, seasonality, and seminal traits, with the emphasis on species diversity. The application of reproductive technologies in wild canid conservation will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer B. Nagashima
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, 1500 Remount Rd., Front Royal, VA 22630, USA;
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