Andre Ganswindt - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Andre Ganswindt

Research paper thumbnail of Endocrine correlates of gender and throat coloration in the southern ground‐hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri)

Integrative Zoology

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Research paper thumbnail of Additional file 3: of The effect of alphacypermethrin-treated mesh protection against African horse sickness virus vectors on jet stall microclimate, clinical variables and faecal glucocorticoid metabolites of horses

Rectal temperature (°C; mean ± SEM) of horses in the treated and untreated jet stall groups befor... more Rectal temperature (°C; mean ± SEM) of horses in the treated and untreated jet stall groups before entering the stall (16 h00) and during overnight housing (20 h00, 0 h00 and 04 h00). (BMP 952 kb)

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Research paper thumbnail of Additional file 1: of The effect of alphacypermethrin-treated mesh protection against African horse sickness virus vectors on jet stall microclimate, clinical variables and faecal glucocorticoid metabolites of horses

Temperature (°C; mean ± SEM) recorded at hourly time points in a treated jet stall, an untreated ... more Temperature (°C; mean ± SEM) recorded at hourly time points in a treated jet stall, an untreated jet stall and outside over 6 nights under temperate climatic conditions. (BMP 1953 kb)

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Research paper thumbnail of 1 Reproductive endocrinology of zoo-housed aardwolves

Knowledge regarding the relationship between endocrine parameters and reproductive activity can o... more Knowledge regarding the relationship between endocrine parameters and reproductive activity can offer important insights into how social and environmental factors influence the reproductive success of mammals. Although components of both the physical and social environment affect endocrine regulation of reproduction, less is understood about the potential role of interactions between different endocrine axes on reproductive activity. We evaluated temporal patterns of reproductive and adrenocortical steroids in two male and three female aardwolves (Proteles cristata) housed in captivity at Brookfield Zoo, Chicago, USA. We found seasonal variation in faecal androgens, estrogens, and progestagens, which provide support for previous observations of the aardwolf as a seasonal breeder. However, the timing of peak endocrine activity did not correspond to observations from wild populations. Our interpretation is that this discrepancy is caused by photoperiodic regulation of reproductive act...

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Research paper thumbnail of Decadal shift in foraging strategy of a migratory southern ocean predator

Global Change Biology, 2020

ABSTRACTRapid anthropogenic environmental change is expected to impact a host of ecological param... more ABSTRACTRapid anthropogenic environmental change is expected to impact a host of ecological parameters in Southern Ocean ecosystems. Of critical concern are the consequences of these changes on the range of species that show fidelity to migratory destinations, as philopatry is hypothesized to help or hinder adaptation to climate change depending on the circumstances. Many baleen whales show philopatry to feeding grounds and are also capital breeders that meet migratory and reproductive costs through seasonal energy intake. Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis, SRWs) are capital breeders that have a strong relationship between reproductive output and foraging success. The population dynamics of South Africa's population of SRWs are characterized by two distinct periods: the 1990s, a period of high calving rates; and the late 2010s, a period associated with lowered calving rates. Here we use analyses of stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values from SRW biopsy ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Seasonal drivers of faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in an African strepsirrhine primate, the thick-tailed greater galago (Otolemur crassicaudatus)

Conservation Physiology, 2021

As global non-human primate populations show dramatic declines due to climate change, land transf... more As global non-human primate populations show dramatic declines due to climate change, land transformation and other anthropogenic stressors, it has become imperative to study physiological responses to environmental change in order to understand primate adaptability and enhance species conservation strategies. We examined the effects of seasonality on faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations of free-ranging male and female thick-tailed greater galagos (Otolemur crassicaudatus) in an Afromontane habitat. To do so, we established an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for monitoring fGCM concentrations in the species using a biological validation. Following this, faecal samples were collected each month over the course of a year from free-ranging males and females situated in the Soutpansberg Mountains, Limpopo, South Africa. Multivariate analyses revealed lactation period was a driver of fGCM levels, whereas sex and food availability mostly influenced seasonal fGCM concentrations ...

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Research paper thumbnail of The influence of food restriction and photoperiod on reproduction in male spiny mice ( Acomys spinosissimus ): Evidence for terminal investment?

Mammalian Biology, 2018

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Research paper thumbnail of Climate induced stress and mortality in vervet monkeys

Royal Society Open Science, 2019

As the effects of global climate change become more apparent, animal species will become increasi... more As the effects of global climate change become more apparent, animal species will become increasingly affected by extreme climate and its effect on the environment. There is a pressing need to understand animal physiological and behavioural responses to climatic stressors. We used the reactive scope model as a framework to investigate the influence of drought conditions on vervet monkey ( Chlorocebus pygerythrus ) behaviour, physiological stress and survival across 2.5 years in South Africa. Data were collected on climatic, environmental and behavioural variables and physiological stress via faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs). There was a meaningful interaction between water availability and resource abundance: when food availability was high but standing water was unavailable, fGCM concentrations were higher compared to when food was abundant and water was available. Vervet monkeys adapted their behaviour during a drought period by spending a greater proportion of time resti...

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Research paper thumbnail of Male residency and dispersal triggers in a seasonal breeder with influential females

Animal Behaviour, 2019

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Research paper thumbnail of Landscape Level Effects of Lion Presence (Panthera leo) on Two Contrasting Prey Species

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 2018

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Research paper thumbnail of From killer to carer: steroid hormones and paternal behaviour

African Zoology, 2016

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Research paper thumbnail of Validation of Enzyme Immunoassays via an Adrenocorticotrophic Stimulation Test for the Non-Invasive Quantification of Stress-Related Hormone Metabolites in Naked Mole-Rats

Animals

Small size in mammals usually restricts long-term, frequent monitoring of endocrine function usin... more Small size in mammals usually restricts long-term, frequent monitoring of endocrine function using plasma as a matrix. Thus, the non-invasive monitoring of hormone metabolite concentrations in excreta may provide an invaluable approach. The aim of the current study was to examine the suitability of enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for monitoring responses to stressors in the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber, NMR) using urine and feces as hormone matrices. A saline control administration, and a high- and low-dose adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge were performed on six male and six female disperser morph NMRs. The results revealed that a 5α-pregnane-3β,11β,21-triol-20-one EIA detecting glucocorticoid metabolites (GCMs) with a 5α-3β-11β-diol structure is the most suitable assay for measuring concentrations in male urine samples, whereas an 11-oxoaetiocholanolone EIA detecting GCMs with a 5β-3α-ol-11-one structure appears the most suitable EIA for quantifying GCMs in female ur...

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Research paper thumbnail of Sick and Tired: Polyparasitism, Food Stress and Sickness Behaviour in a Gregarious Mammal

Although sickness behaviour in response to non-lethal parasites has been documented in wild anima... more Although sickness behaviour in response to non-lethal parasites has been documented in wild animals, it remains unclear how social and environmental stress might also shape an animal’s behavioural response to parasitism, nor do we know whether simultaneous infection with more than one parasite changes the way animals respond. Here, we combine physiological, environmental, behavioural and parasite measures to investigate behavioural responses to infection in wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) living in a semi-arid region of South Africa. We quantified both activity budget and behavioural predictability to investigate the occurrence of sickness behaviour and infection with two non-lethal gastrointestinal parasite genera. Higher parasite load was linked to an increase in the time spent resting. However, the nature of the relationship with other behaviours was contingent on both the parasite genus in question, and how parasite species interacted, highlighting the importance o...

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Research paper thumbnail of Characterization of the reproductive behaviour of the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus)

Journal of Ethology, 2021

Little information exists on the sexual behaviours of the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus; E. ... more Little information exists on the sexual behaviours of the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus; E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1803), a species listed vulnerable in southern Africa. To fill this gap, two adult males and 13 adult females from two captive breeding herds, at Lapalala Wilderness, South Africa, were observed three times per day from September 2017 to July 2018. Pre-categorised behaviours exhibited by males and females were recorded and their frequencies quantified. Fifteen pre-defined behaviours were recorded in males with precopulatory behaviours being the most recurrent. Overall, 181 courtships and 73 complete mounts (copulations) were recorded for the two mating periods observed; each mount lasted between 3 and 4 s. In females, eight pre-defined behaviours were observed and homosexual mounts were observed for the first time in females of this species and indeed within the Hippotragini tribe. Receptivity lasted for between 24 and 72 h, with prominent behaviours being copulation, flehmen and urination. Besides hiding, moving away or lying-out, non-receptive females fell on their metacarpal joints when approached by a male, a behaviour not yet reported in hippotragine species. This study showed that courtship is the most prominent component of male mating behaviour and that receptivity in females may vary between 1 and 3 days.

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Research paper thumbnail of RESEARCH ARTICLE Glucocorticoid Stress Responses of Reintroduced Tigers in Relation to Anthropogenic Disturbance in Sariska Tiger Reserve in India

Tiger (Panthera tigris), an endangered species, is under severe threat from poaching, habi-tat lo... more Tiger (Panthera tigris), an endangered species, is under severe threat from poaching, habi-tat loss, prey depletion and habitat disturbance. Such factors have been reported causing local extermination of tiger populations including in one of the most important reserves in India, namely Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) in northwestern India. Consequently, tigers were reintroduced in STR between 2008 and 2010, but inadequate breeding success was observed over the years, thus invoking an investigation to ascertain physiological corre-lates. In the present study, we report glucocorticoid stress responses of the reintroduced ti-gers in relation to anthropogenic disturbance in the STR from 2011 to 2013. We found anthropogenic disturbance such as encounter rates of livestock and humans, distance to roads and efforts to kill domestic livestock associated with an elevation in fecal glucocorti-coid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations in the monitored tigers. In this regard, female tigers seemmore sen...

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Research paper thumbnail of Supplementary Material from Evidence for contrasting roles for prolactin in eusocial naked mole-rats, Heterocephalus glaber and Damaraland mole-rats, Fukomys damarensis

Elevated prolactin (PRL) has been associated with the expression of social and cooperative behavi... more Elevated prolactin (PRL) has been associated with the expression of social and cooperative behaviours in a number of vertebrate species, as well as suppression of reproduction. As social mole-rats exhibit both of these traits, PRL is a prime candidate in mediating their social phenotype. While naked and Damaraland mole-rats (NMRs and DMRs) have evolved eusociality independently within their family, both species exhibit an extreme skew in lifetime reproductive success, with breeding restricted to a single female and one or two males. Non-breeding NMRs of both sexes are physiologically inhibited from reproducing, while in DMRs only the non-breeding females are physiologically suppressed. Newly emerging work has implicated the dopamine system and PRL as a component in socially induced reproductive suppression and eusociality in NMR, but the DMR remains unstudied in this context. To investigate evolutionary convergence in the role of PRL in shaping African mole-rat eusociality, we deter...

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Research paper thumbnail of Sexual selection and endocrine profiles in wild South African giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa )

African Journal of Ecology, 2020

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Research paper thumbnail of 40th Int. Congress ISAE, University of Bristol

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Research paper thumbnail of Supplementary material from Climate induced stress and mortality in vervet monkeys

This file contains additional statistical outputs. In total it includes three tables S1-S2; Table... more This file contains additional statistical outputs. In total it includes three tables S1-S2; Table S1: model1temp+water examining the influence of social and environmental factors on fGCM concentrations.Table S2: Showing the output of the multinomial behavioural model of four categories of behaviour (moving, resting, foraging and social).

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Research paper thumbnail of Periovulatory changes in behaviour and faecal oestrogen and progestogen metabolite concentrations could predict the fertile period in female African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus)

Artificial insemination (AI) can aid African wild dog conservation, but determining the female&#3... more Artificial insemination (AI) can aid African wild dog conservation, but determining the female's fertile period is difficult because methods used to time AI in domestic dogs are not feasible without immobilization in wild canids. Therefore, we explored whether certain behaviours and faecal oestrogen (fEM) and progesterone (fPM) metabolite concentrations could predict the fertile period in late oestrus. Behaviour was observed in 3 alpha females up to 6 days before until 6 days after the mating period, and frequently collected faeces were analysed for fEM and fPM concentrations using enzyme-immunoassays. To link behaviour and faecal steroid levels with oestrus and ovulation, females were immobilized 2-3 times during the periovulatory period to evaluate vulvar condition and blood steroid hormones, and to perform vaginal cytology, vaginoscopy, and ovarian ultrasound. Late oestrus could be distinguished from pro-oestrus, early oestrus and dioestrus using behaviour, with a 2- to 5-fol...

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Research paper thumbnail of Endocrine correlates of gender and throat coloration in the southern ground‐hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri)

Integrative Zoology

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Research paper thumbnail of Additional file 3: of The effect of alphacypermethrin-treated mesh protection against African horse sickness virus vectors on jet stall microclimate, clinical variables and faecal glucocorticoid metabolites of horses

Rectal temperature (°C; mean ± SEM) of horses in the treated and untreated jet stall groups befor... more Rectal temperature (°C; mean ± SEM) of horses in the treated and untreated jet stall groups before entering the stall (16 h00) and during overnight housing (20 h00, 0 h00 and 04 h00). (BMP 952 kb)

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Research paper thumbnail of Additional file 1: of The effect of alphacypermethrin-treated mesh protection against African horse sickness virus vectors on jet stall microclimate, clinical variables and faecal glucocorticoid metabolites of horses

Temperature (°C; mean ± SEM) recorded at hourly time points in a treated jet stall, an untreated ... more Temperature (°C; mean ± SEM) recorded at hourly time points in a treated jet stall, an untreated jet stall and outside over 6 nights under temperate climatic conditions. (BMP 1953 kb)

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Research paper thumbnail of 1 Reproductive endocrinology of zoo-housed aardwolves

Knowledge regarding the relationship between endocrine parameters and reproductive activity can o... more Knowledge regarding the relationship between endocrine parameters and reproductive activity can offer important insights into how social and environmental factors influence the reproductive success of mammals. Although components of both the physical and social environment affect endocrine regulation of reproduction, less is understood about the potential role of interactions between different endocrine axes on reproductive activity. We evaluated temporal patterns of reproductive and adrenocortical steroids in two male and three female aardwolves (Proteles cristata) housed in captivity at Brookfield Zoo, Chicago, USA. We found seasonal variation in faecal androgens, estrogens, and progestagens, which provide support for previous observations of the aardwolf as a seasonal breeder. However, the timing of peak endocrine activity did not correspond to observations from wild populations. Our interpretation is that this discrepancy is caused by photoperiodic regulation of reproductive act...

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Research paper thumbnail of Decadal shift in foraging strategy of a migratory southern ocean predator

Global Change Biology, 2020

ABSTRACTRapid anthropogenic environmental change is expected to impact a host of ecological param... more ABSTRACTRapid anthropogenic environmental change is expected to impact a host of ecological parameters in Southern Ocean ecosystems. Of critical concern are the consequences of these changes on the range of species that show fidelity to migratory destinations, as philopatry is hypothesized to help or hinder adaptation to climate change depending on the circumstances. Many baleen whales show philopatry to feeding grounds and are also capital breeders that meet migratory and reproductive costs through seasonal energy intake. Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis, SRWs) are capital breeders that have a strong relationship between reproductive output and foraging success. The population dynamics of South Africa's population of SRWs are characterized by two distinct periods: the 1990s, a period of high calving rates; and the late 2010s, a period associated with lowered calving rates. Here we use analyses of stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values from SRW biopsy ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Seasonal drivers of faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in an African strepsirrhine primate, the thick-tailed greater galago (Otolemur crassicaudatus)

Conservation Physiology, 2021

As global non-human primate populations show dramatic declines due to climate change, land transf... more As global non-human primate populations show dramatic declines due to climate change, land transformation and other anthropogenic stressors, it has become imperative to study physiological responses to environmental change in order to understand primate adaptability and enhance species conservation strategies. We examined the effects of seasonality on faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations of free-ranging male and female thick-tailed greater galagos (Otolemur crassicaudatus) in an Afromontane habitat. To do so, we established an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for monitoring fGCM concentrations in the species using a biological validation. Following this, faecal samples were collected each month over the course of a year from free-ranging males and females situated in the Soutpansberg Mountains, Limpopo, South Africa. Multivariate analyses revealed lactation period was a driver of fGCM levels, whereas sex and food availability mostly influenced seasonal fGCM concentrations ...

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Research paper thumbnail of The influence of food restriction and photoperiod on reproduction in male spiny mice ( Acomys spinosissimus ): Evidence for terminal investment?

Mammalian Biology, 2018

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Research paper thumbnail of Climate induced stress and mortality in vervet monkeys

Royal Society Open Science, 2019

As the effects of global climate change become more apparent, animal species will become increasi... more As the effects of global climate change become more apparent, animal species will become increasingly affected by extreme climate and its effect on the environment. There is a pressing need to understand animal physiological and behavioural responses to climatic stressors. We used the reactive scope model as a framework to investigate the influence of drought conditions on vervet monkey ( Chlorocebus pygerythrus ) behaviour, physiological stress and survival across 2.5 years in South Africa. Data were collected on climatic, environmental and behavioural variables and physiological stress via faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs). There was a meaningful interaction between water availability and resource abundance: when food availability was high but standing water was unavailable, fGCM concentrations were higher compared to when food was abundant and water was available. Vervet monkeys adapted their behaviour during a drought period by spending a greater proportion of time resti...

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Research paper thumbnail of Male residency and dispersal triggers in a seasonal breeder with influential females

Animal Behaviour, 2019

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Research paper thumbnail of Landscape Level Effects of Lion Presence (Panthera leo) on Two Contrasting Prey Species

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 2018

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Research paper thumbnail of From killer to carer: steroid hormones and paternal behaviour

African Zoology, 2016

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Research paper thumbnail of Validation of Enzyme Immunoassays via an Adrenocorticotrophic Stimulation Test for the Non-Invasive Quantification of Stress-Related Hormone Metabolites in Naked Mole-Rats

Animals

Small size in mammals usually restricts long-term, frequent monitoring of endocrine function usin... more Small size in mammals usually restricts long-term, frequent monitoring of endocrine function using plasma as a matrix. Thus, the non-invasive monitoring of hormone metabolite concentrations in excreta may provide an invaluable approach. The aim of the current study was to examine the suitability of enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for monitoring responses to stressors in the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber, NMR) using urine and feces as hormone matrices. A saline control administration, and a high- and low-dose adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge were performed on six male and six female disperser morph NMRs. The results revealed that a 5α-pregnane-3β,11β,21-triol-20-one EIA detecting glucocorticoid metabolites (GCMs) with a 5α-3β-11β-diol structure is the most suitable assay for measuring concentrations in male urine samples, whereas an 11-oxoaetiocholanolone EIA detecting GCMs with a 5β-3α-ol-11-one structure appears the most suitable EIA for quantifying GCMs in female ur...

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Research paper thumbnail of Sick and Tired: Polyparasitism, Food Stress and Sickness Behaviour in a Gregarious Mammal

Although sickness behaviour in response to non-lethal parasites has been documented in wild anima... more Although sickness behaviour in response to non-lethal parasites has been documented in wild animals, it remains unclear how social and environmental stress might also shape an animal’s behavioural response to parasitism, nor do we know whether simultaneous infection with more than one parasite changes the way animals respond. Here, we combine physiological, environmental, behavioural and parasite measures to investigate behavioural responses to infection in wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) living in a semi-arid region of South Africa. We quantified both activity budget and behavioural predictability to investigate the occurrence of sickness behaviour and infection with two non-lethal gastrointestinal parasite genera. Higher parasite load was linked to an increase in the time spent resting. However, the nature of the relationship with other behaviours was contingent on both the parasite genus in question, and how parasite species interacted, highlighting the importance o...

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Research paper thumbnail of Characterization of the reproductive behaviour of the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus)

Journal of Ethology, 2021

Little information exists on the sexual behaviours of the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus; E. ... more Little information exists on the sexual behaviours of the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus; E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1803), a species listed vulnerable in southern Africa. To fill this gap, two adult males and 13 adult females from two captive breeding herds, at Lapalala Wilderness, South Africa, were observed three times per day from September 2017 to July 2018. Pre-categorised behaviours exhibited by males and females were recorded and their frequencies quantified. Fifteen pre-defined behaviours were recorded in males with precopulatory behaviours being the most recurrent. Overall, 181 courtships and 73 complete mounts (copulations) were recorded for the two mating periods observed; each mount lasted between 3 and 4 s. In females, eight pre-defined behaviours were observed and homosexual mounts were observed for the first time in females of this species and indeed within the Hippotragini tribe. Receptivity lasted for between 24 and 72 h, with prominent behaviours being copulation, flehmen and urination. Besides hiding, moving away or lying-out, non-receptive females fell on their metacarpal joints when approached by a male, a behaviour not yet reported in hippotragine species. This study showed that courtship is the most prominent component of male mating behaviour and that receptivity in females may vary between 1 and 3 days.

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Research paper thumbnail of RESEARCH ARTICLE Glucocorticoid Stress Responses of Reintroduced Tigers in Relation to Anthropogenic Disturbance in Sariska Tiger Reserve in India

Tiger (Panthera tigris), an endangered species, is under severe threat from poaching, habi-tat lo... more Tiger (Panthera tigris), an endangered species, is under severe threat from poaching, habi-tat loss, prey depletion and habitat disturbance. Such factors have been reported causing local extermination of tiger populations including in one of the most important reserves in India, namely Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) in northwestern India. Consequently, tigers were reintroduced in STR between 2008 and 2010, but inadequate breeding success was observed over the years, thus invoking an investigation to ascertain physiological corre-lates. In the present study, we report glucocorticoid stress responses of the reintroduced ti-gers in relation to anthropogenic disturbance in the STR from 2011 to 2013. We found anthropogenic disturbance such as encounter rates of livestock and humans, distance to roads and efforts to kill domestic livestock associated with an elevation in fecal glucocorti-coid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations in the monitored tigers. In this regard, female tigers seemmore sen...

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Research paper thumbnail of Supplementary Material from Evidence for contrasting roles for prolactin in eusocial naked mole-rats, Heterocephalus glaber and Damaraland mole-rats, Fukomys damarensis

Elevated prolactin (PRL) has been associated with the expression of social and cooperative behavi... more Elevated prolactin (PRL) has been associated with the expression of social and cooperative behaviours in a number of vertebrate species, as well as suppression of reproduction. As social mole-rats exhibit both of these traits, PRL is a prime candidate in mediating their social phenotype. While naked and Damaraland mole-rats (NMRs and DMRs) have evolved eusociality independently within their family, both species exhibit an extreme skew in lifetime reproductive success, with breeding restricted to a single female and one or two males. Non-breeding NMRs of both sexes are physiologically inhibited from reproducing, while in DMRs only the non-breeding females are physiologically suppressed. Newly emerging work has implicated the dopamine system and PRL as a component in socially induced reproductive suppression and eusociality in NMR, but the DMR remains unstudied in this context. To investigate evolutionary convergence in the role of PRL in shaping African mole-rat eusociality, we deter...

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Research paper thumbnail of Sexual selection and endocrine profiles in wild South African giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa )

African Journal of Ecology, 2020

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Research paper thumbnail of 40th Int. Congress ISAE, University of Bristol

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Research paper thumbnail of Supplementary material from Climate induced stress and mortality in vervet monkeys

This file contains additional statistical outputs. In total it includes three tables S1-S2; Table... more This file contains additional statistical outputs. In total it includes three tables S1-S2; Table S1: model1temp+water examining the influence of social and environmental factors on fGCM concentrations.Table S2: Showing the output of the multinomial behavioural model of four categories of behaviour (moving, resting, foraging and social).

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Research paper thumbnail of Periovulatory changes in behaviour and faecal oestrogen and progestogen metabolite concentrations could predict the fertile period in female African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus)

Artificial insemination (AI) can aid African wild dog conservation, but determining the female&#3... more Artificial insemination (AI) can aid African wild dog conservation, but determining the female's fertile period is difficult because methods used to time AI in domestic dogs are not feasible without immobilization in wild canids. Therefore, we explored whether certain behaviours and faecal oestrogen (fEM) and progesterone (fPM) metabolite concentrations could predict the fertile period in late oestrus. Behaviour was observed in 3 alpha females up to 6 days before until 6 days after the mating period, and frequently collected faeces were analysed for fEM and fPM concentrations using enzyme-immunoassays. To link behaviour and faecal steroid levels with oestrus and ovulation, females were immobilized 2-3 times during the periovulatory period to evaluate vulvar condition and blood steroid hormones, and to perform vaginal cytology, vaginoscopy, and ovarian ultrasound. Late oestrus could be distinguished from pro-oestrus, early oestrus and dioestrus using behaviour, with a 2- to 5-fol...

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