Group management influences reproductive function of the male cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Diana C. Koester A B F , Elizabeth W. Freeman C , David E. Wildt A , Kimberly A. Terrell A , Ashley D. Franklin A D , Karen Meeks E and Adrienne E. Crosier A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA.
B Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.
C New Century College, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.
D Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
E White Oak Conservation Center, 581705 White Oak Road, Yulee, FL 32097, USA.
F Corresponding author. Email: koesterd@si.edu
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 29(3) 496-508 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD15138
Submitted: 9 April 2015 Accepted: 13 August 2015 Published: 21 September 2015
Abstract
Although the free-ranging cheetah is generally socially solitary, as many as 60% of males live in same-sex (usually sibling) coalitions. Under ex situ conditions, the cheetah experiences low reproductive success with only ~18% of males having ever produced young. Most male cheetahs (85%) are managed in captivity in coalitions, but with no data on the influence of social grouping on reproductive parameters. We examined the influence of singleton versus coalition management on various male cheetah physiological traits, including ejaculate quality and gonadal and adrenal hormone metabolite concentrations. We also assessed behaviour within coalitions for evidence of social hierarchy through initiation of interactions with group mates and relatedness to physiological traits. Ejaculate quality (including total motile and structurally normal spermatozoa per ejaculate) and androgen concentration profiles were higher (P < 0.05) in coalition compared with singleton males. These results support the conclusion that testis function in the cheetah, specifically related to the development of normal, motile spermatozoa and androgen production, is influenced by management with same-sex conspecifics. The findings have implications for ex situ conservation breeding programs by suggesting that reproductive quality can be enhanced through group maintenance of cheetah males.
Additional keywords: behaviour, felid, grouping, spermatozoa, steroid hormone.
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