Assessing puberty in female cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) via faecal hormone metabolites and body weight
Morgan A. Maly A B C , Katie L. Edwards A D , Diana C. Koester E , Charlotte E. Farin F and Adrienne E. Crosier
A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA.
B Genetics Program, Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
C Genetics Program, Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
D North of England Zoological Society, Chester Zoo, Upton-by-Chester CH2 1LH, UK.
E Department of Conservation and Science, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA.
F Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 33(18) 841-854 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD21169
Published online: 30 November 2021
© 2021 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing
Abstract
With fewer than 7500 cheetahs remaining in the wild, ex situ cheetah populations serve as an insurance policy against extinction and a resource to study species’ biology. This study aimed to identify the age of pubertal onset in ex situ female cheetahs using non-invasive faecal steroid hormone monitoring and body weights. Faecal samples from nine female cheetahs were collected two to three times weekly from 2 to 36 months of age and body weights were recorded every 3 months. Faecal oestrogen metabolites (FOM) and faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) were analysed using enzyme immunoassays and samples were categorised into 6-month intervals to compare endocrine characteristics. Faecal hormone and body weight data were analysed using generalised linear mixed models. Age was a significant predictor of mean and baseline FOM concentrations, number of FOM peaks, mean and maximum FOM peak concentrations and the number of cycles. Female cheetahs aged 24–30 months exhibited a marked rise in mean FOM concentration and the number of FOM peaks and cycles increased with age until 24–30 months. Females attained adult body weight by 21 months of age. Mean and baseline FGM concentrations were highest at the 0–6 and 12–18 months of age groups and did not follow the same FOM patterns. Based on body weight data, the FOM concentrations and peak patterning, females were considered pubertal from 24 to 30 months of age. Characterisation of cheetah puberty has direct and significant implications for the improvement of management and reproductive success of cheetahs under human care. This information is particularly informative for identifying important windows of development, littermate dispersal and breeding introductions.
Keywords: Acinonyx jubatus, cheetahs, development, endocrinology, glucocorticoid, growth, oestrogen, puberty.
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