IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Fanson, K.; Wielebnowski, N.; Lucas, J. | |
| Reproductive physiology of Canada lynx (_Lynx canadensis_) | |
| 2009 Book Chapter | |
Knowledge about the reproductive physiology of lynx could help improve conservation practices. The goal of this study was to validate fecal hormone metabolite assays for Canada lynx and develop a basic understanding of their reproductive physiology. Fecal androgen assays were validated for males, and analysis revealed a clear seasonal increase in androgen expression immediately prior to and during the breeding season. The validation of fecal estrogen and progestagen assays for females was not entirely convincing, but nevertheless informative. A significant rise in fecal estrogens was observed during the breeding season for females. Assay validation may be partially confounded by the unusually long persistence of corpora lutea in Lynx species, which could produce different hormone profiles compared to other female mammals. Lastly, a fecal glucocorticoid metabolite assay was validated for both males and females. We found preliminary evidence that females may have a more pronounced physiological stress response than males, although this does not necessarily imply that females are more sensitive to stress. Chronic stress (e.g. translocation and holding) does appear to suppress androgen expression in males. Further research is needed to gain a clearer understanding of how environmental stressors may impact Canada lynx reproduction, and thereby affect their population size. |
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