Factors influencing weight changes in callitrichids at the Bronx zoo

Abstract

Callitrichids are small monkeys with high metabolic rates who appear to be susceptible to spontaneous diseases and possibly to environmental changes creating challenges in maintaining them in captivity. This study investigates whether life events (i.e. medical, social and housing changes) can influence weight. In previous research, body mass has been shown to be correlated with periods of illness, group composition changes and stress. Weights of 56 individual callitrichid monkeys (20 marmosets, 26 tamarins and 11 lion tamarins) at the WCS's Bronx Zoo were examined over approximately 2½ years. Weight fluctuations were scored based on 5%, 10% and 1 standard deviation criteria during periods of medical (illness and injury), social (introductions and separations), housing (movement within or between buildings) events and during periods when no-events occurred. Additionally, weights were examined for 3 months before and after periods of illness to look for trends in weight changes for 47 medical events (14 marmosets, 21 tamarins and 12 lion tamarins). Moreover, in five alloparenting males (four tamarins and one lion tamarin), weights were examined to determine if weight loss occurred after births as observed in earlier studies. The results show that a 5% and 1SD criterion may be too sensitive a criterion. We therefore deemed that a 10% weight loss may be the best criterion. For marmosets, a 10% weight loss occurred in association with all events. For tamarins, weight loss occurred with housing events. In lion tamarins, weight loss was observed with medical events. No significant weight loss was observed in alloparenting males.

Effects of housing conditions on behaviors and biochemical parameters in juvenile cynomolgus monkeys (<i>Macaca fascicularis</i>)

“…2). This is in agreement with previous findings that changes in housing conditions cause psychological stress in animals, as observed by the presentation of abnormal behaviors, sleep disorders, and weight loss [8, 20]. The common marmoset is also known to show weight loss of about 10% following a transition to single housing [20].…”

Parameters of haematology, clinical chemistry and lipid metabolism in the common marmoset and alterations under stress conditions

“…In a very recent study [17], common marmosets experienced a 10% weight loss during a change in housing conditions. In our study, a slight median weight loss of 3% (SV) was observed compared to the BV, which was not significant.…”

“…Faecal and saliva samples were examined for their cortisol content by a self‐made radioimmunoassay (RIA). Sample preparation for the assay differed considerably: faecal cortisol analysis needed an extraction, whereas salivary cortisol is unbound and therefore could be measured directly, without extraction [17].…”

Prenatal stress programs lipid metabolism enhancing cardiovascular risk in the female F1, F2, and F3 generation in the primate model common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

“…Contingently, an imprinting effect on body weight could be masked by individual fluctuations in the present study. In marmosets, more than 10% weight loss frequently occurs in response to several adverse influences [31]. In humans, other primates and rodents, prenatal stress correlates with altered behavior, particularly an increased vulnerability to stressful events [7, 25, 42].…”