Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Changes In Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites In Captive Coyotes (Canis Latrans): Influence Of Gender, Time, And Reproductive Status, Eric M. Gese, Patricia A. Terletzky, Cole A. Bleke, Erika T. Stevenson, Susannah S. French

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Simple summary

Biologists have long considered producing offspring a demanding time in the life of any animal, with reproducing and raising offspring being physiologically stressful. We examined whether breeding and producing pups was more stressful than other life-history stages among captive coyotes (Canis latrans) using fecal sampling and subsequent assays for glucocorticoid metabolites. Using 12 pairs of coyotes (five pairs produced pups, seven pairs did not), we examined fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM) covering 11 biological time periods for one year. We found high individual variability among both females and males with no apparent statistical effect of reproduction on …