International Society for Wildlife Endocrinology: the future of endocrine measures for reproductive science, animal welfare and conservation biology

Abstract

Hormone analysis is a precise and widely accepted tool for monitoring reproductive function and responses to stressors. Although hormones are present and can be measured in various biological matrices, non-invasive methods have gained popularity over the past 30 years as a more practical approach for assessing ovarian, testicular and, more recently, adrenocortical activity in intractable wildlife species. Non-invasive hormone monitoring also has been key to understanding biological mechanisms related to observed behaviours of captive and free-ranging animals. Despite the increasing popularity of this research field, wildlife endocrinologists have not had a specific forum for sharing and discussing their latest findings, technical developments and common challenges. To provide such a communication platform, the International Society for Wildlife Endocrinology (ISWE) was established in 2010, followed by an international meeting held on 3–4 November 2011 at the Toronto Zoo, Canada. Over several sessions, keynote speakers and participants discussed recent developments of new and innovative methods for hormone monitoring, as well as the latest advances in basic endocrinology as applied to adrenal function, reproductive physiology, animal health, ecology and evolution. Here, we introduce ISWE to the scientific community and discuss how this new society will serve as a resource for wildlife endocrinologists worldwide.

Non-invasive monitoring of glucocorticoid metabolites in banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) in response to physiological and biological challenges

“…Non-invasive hormone monitoring, especially through excretions such as feces, urine and saliva, is already a well-established approach [14,46,45,28,34,24,51,32]. It is not, however, without problems [51] and validation of non-invasive assays is vital [47].…”

Determining Adrenocortical Activity as a Measure of Stress in African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) Based on Faecal Analysis

“…Nowadays, the assessment of adrenocortical function using faeces as hormone matrix is a widely accepted approach for monitoring responses to stressors, because faeces can be collected very easily, animals are usually not disturbed during sample collection, and sampling is feedback-free due to the absence of capture and handling Ganswindt et al 2012). Therefore, even individual long-term monitoring via repeated sampling is possible without affecting the animal's endocrine status .…”

Fecal estrogen, progestagen and glucocorticoid metabolites during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla): evidence for delayed implantation

“…Sampling frequency and duration of fecal collections for endocrine studies must take into account anticipated reproductive events (e.g., sexual maturation, estrous cycling, and pregnancy) paired with observational information and knowledge of the animal’s reproductive biology [20]. In this study, fecal samples were serially collected from a multiparous female and six females reaching sexual maturity at < 4 years of age.…”