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Full-Text Articles in Biology

Assessing Well-Being Of Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus) Through Major Events And Transitions, With Development And Aging, And Husbandry Changes, Sharon Stuart Glaeser Jul 2020

Assessing Well-Being Of Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus) Through Major Events And Transitions, With Development And Aging, And Husbandry Changes, Sharon Stuart Glaeser

Dissertations and Theses

In this body of research, reproductive and adrenal hormones and behavior were used to evaluate individual and group responses to physiological, social, and environmental changes in zoo-housed Asian elephants, considering factors of sex, age, and life stage. Animals experience physiological, social, and environmental changes as part of their natural history and individual life experience. Measures of both positive and negative states are needed to assess the impact of these changes at the individual and group level. Such measures can help us better understand how animals cope with a changing environment, and can help inform management decisions. Through longitudinal analyses of …


Energy Stores And Life-History Transitions In Red-Sided Garter Snakes (Thamnophis Sirtalis Parietalis), Rachel Catharine Wilson Jul 2020

Energy Stores And Life-History Transitions In Red-Sided Garter Snakes (Thamnophis Sirtalis Parietalis), Rachel Catharine Wilson

Dissertations and Theses

All organisms must prioritize investment in either reproductive or self-maintenance activities. Despite this established paradigm, our understanding of how organisms choose to prioritize certain behaviors and physiologies over others remains limited. It is likely that an organism's energy status not only influences variation in reproductive effort, but also transitions to and from reproductive activities. My dissertation aims to investigate how energy metrics (body condition index, adipocyte follicle size, and liver glycogen) relate to reproduction and associated life-history stages in red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). Chapter two examines if energy metrics differ with migratory status and sex in …