Behavioral correlates of physiological estrus in cheetahs

Autor: Janine L. Brown, Nadja C. Wielebnowski
Rok vydání: 1998
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Zdroj: Zoo Biology. 17:193-209
ISSN: 1098-2361
0733-3188
DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2361(1998)17:3<193::aid-zoo4>3.0.co;2-4
Popis: National Zoological Park, Conservation and Research Center, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia Historically, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) has been known for its poor repro- ductive performance in captivity. Although breeding success has improved over the past decade, the percentage of breeders in the captive population is still low and successful propagation unpredictable. Estrus in this species has been reported as "silent" by some, therefore contributing to breeding problems by making ap- propriate timing of pair introductions difficult. To investigate whether any ob- servable behavioral changes may be associated with estrus, we carried out quantitative behavioral observations and concomitant noninvasive monitoring of estradiol metabolites excreted in feces of 14 captive female cheetahs for periods of 5-22 consecutive weeks. We found that changes in fecal estradiol concentra- tions correlated significantly with variation in the occurrence of several types of behaviors, including rolling, rubbing, sniffing, vocalizing, and urine spraying. However, the number and types of correlated behaviors varied across females, revealing no single behavior indicative of estrus, but rather a constellation of behaviors that increased in frequency when estradiol concentrations were elevated. There was no significant difference in the overall average estradiol concentra- tions or peak values of the females that had previously mated and conceived compared to those of the females that had failed to breed. Successful breeders appeared to show significantly higher rates of rubbing and rolling than nonbreeders. However, rates of rubbing, rolling, and urine spraying also were found to increase with age, and older individuals were more likely to have bred. The results of this study indicate that estrus in the cheetah cannot be regarded as "silent" since the frequencies of some behaviors appear to covary with fluctuat- ing estradiol levels. However, behavioral monitoring of estrus may nevertheless be difficult and time-consuming due to individual variation and subtle changes in behavioral frequencies rather than changes in the types of behaviors displayed. ZOO Biol 17:193-209, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Key words: Acinonyxjubatus; estradiol; estrous behavior; fecal steroids ^Correspondence to: Nadja Wielebnowski, Conservation and Research Center, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630. e-mail: nwielebn® sivm.si.edu Received for publication May 5, 1997; revision accepted March 10, 1998 ©1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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