Peripheral Endocrines in Bat Reproduction

Kwiecinski, Gary G.; Damassa, David A.

doi:10.1016/b978-012195670-7/50004-7

Cited by 5 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Previous studies emphasized the role of cortisol as a primary mammalian stress hormone in bats (reviewed by Kwiecinski and Damassa 2000). Recent findings in free-living little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus, Reeder et al 2004a), however, also suggest an important and probably even central role for corticosterone in relation to reproduction.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This mechanism may protect fitness in settings with year-round reproductive activity, multiple reproductive cycles and an assumed high predation pressure (Ricklefs and Wikelski 2002). Interestingly, flying foxes in general reach higher peaks in corticosterone levels than microbats and most other mammals (Kwiecinski and Damassa 2000), suggesting high susceptibility to the negative effects of stress and elevated overall sensitivity of the HPA axis. Our results suggest that there might even be a tropical syndrome of high stress sensitivity in bats spanning Old and New World tropics.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, bats living in the tropics may in general be more stress sensitive than temperate species, thus the response may be delayed to avoid a strong immediate build-up when higher overall corticosteroid levels are reached (reviewed by Kwiecinski and Damassa 2000). This mechanism may protect fitness in settings with year-round reproductive activity, multiple reproductive cycles and an assumed high predation pressure (Ricklefs and Wikelski 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been suggested that under this slow life history at low latitudes future reproductive success may be valued more than current reproduction because of postponed senescence and may be protected by the trait of high risk sensitivity (Ricklefs and Wikelski 2002), a concept that is supported by birds (see Silverin et al 1997;Ghalambor and Martin 2001). In tropical bats, glucocorticoid levels are among the highest documented for mammals (Kwiecinski and Damassa 2000). However, most results so far stem predominantly from captive individuals (Widmaier and Kunz 1993;Widmaier et al 1994;Kwiecinski and Damassa 2000;Reeder et al 2004b) and data on free-ranging populations are largely lacking (but see Reeder et al 2004a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In tropical bats, glucocorticoid levels are among the highest documented for mammals (Kwiecinski and Damassa 2000). However, most results so far stem predominantly from captive individuals (Widmaier and Kunz 1993;Widmaier et al 1994;Kwiecinski and Damassa 2000;Reeder et al 2004b) and data on free-ranging populations are largely lacking (but see Reeder et al 2004a). Extremely high GC levels may terminate pregnancies (Heideman 2000), triggering a life-protecting emergency life-history stage (Wingfield et al 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reproduction elevates the corticosterone stress response in common fruit bats

et al. 2005

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Changes in reproductive state or the environment may affect the sensitivity of the hypothalamicpituitary-andrenal (HPA) axis. However, little is known about the dynamics of the resulting corticosteroid stress response, in particular in tropical mammals. In this study, we address the modulation of corticosterone release in response to different reproductive conditions and seasonality in 326 free-living common fruit-eating bats (Artibeus jamaicensis) on Barro Colorado Island in Panama during dry and wet seasons. We present strong evidence that stress sensitivity is primarily modulated by reproductive condition. In reproductively active females, corticosterone increases were more rapid and reached higher levels, but also decreased significantly faster than in inactive females. The corticosterone response was weaker in reproducing males than in females and delayed compared to non-reproductive males. Testes volume in reproductively active males was negatively correlated with corticosterone concentrations. Our findings suggest differentiated dynamics in the corticosterone stress response between sexes, potentially reflecting conflicting ecological demands. In females, a strong acute corticosterone response may represent high stress-and risk-sensitivity that facilitates escape and thus helps to protect reproduction. In males, suppression during reproductive activity could reflect lowered stress sensitivity to avoid chronically elevated corticosterone levels in times of frequent aggressive and therefore costly inter-male encounters.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reproduction elevates the corticosterone stress response in common fruit bats

et al. 2005

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Baseline and stress‐induced glucocorticoids during reproduction in the variable flying fox, Pteropus hypomelanus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae)

2004

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Baseline and stress-responsive glucocorticoid (GC) levels were assessed during early pregnancy, late pregnancy, and lactation in female variable flying foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus) and in males over the same time period. Animals were maintained in a breeding colony in captivity. High levels of both cortisol and corticosterone were detected, with total plasma GC levels being among the highest documented in vertebrates (up to 3000 ng/ml in individual animals, with cortisol being the primary GC, accounting for approximately 78% of total GCs), and significantly greater in males than in females. Plasma levels of cortisol and corticosterone showed nearly identical profiles within each sex, with the exception of females in late pregnancy, in which corticosterone, but not cortisol, increased significantly. Baseline levels of plasma cortisol were highest in September (when pups were between 1 and 2 months of age) in both sexes, which may be related to the approaching onset of the mating period. There was a continuum in the magnitude of the response to stress (handling and sampling) over time in females, with the greatest stress response in early pregnancy, a dampened response during late pregnancy, and no significant stress response during lactation. Surprisingly, males failed to exhibit elevated GCs after this stress, but did have significant stress-induced hyperglycemia and suppression of plasma testosterone levels. This may be due to their high (perhaps maximal) baseline levels, which suggests that being in a breeding group was chronically stressful for males.

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Inter- and intra-specific variation in hair cortisol concentrations of Neotropical bats

Sandoval-Herrera

Mastromonaco

Becker

et al. 2021

Conservation Physiology

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Quantifying hair cortisol has become popular in wildlife ecology for its practical advantages for evaluating stress. Before hair cortisol levels can be reliably interpreted, however, it is key to first understand the intrinsic factors explaining intra- and inter-specific variation. Bats are an ecologically diverse group of mammals that allow studying such variation. Given that many bat species are threatened or have declining populations in parts of their range, minimally invasive tools for monitoring colony health and identifying cryptic stressors are needed to efficiently direct conservation efforts. Here we describe intra- and inter-specific sources of variation in hair cortisol levels in 18 Neotropical bat species from Belize and Mexico. We found that fecundity is an important ecological trait explaining inter-specific variation in bat hair cortisol. Other ecological variables such as colony size, roost durability and basal metabolic rate did not explain hair cortisol variation among species. At the individual level, females exhibited higher hair cortisol levels than males and the effect of body mass varied among species. Overall, our findings help validate and accurately apply hair cortisol as a monitoring tool in free-ranging bats.

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Peripheral Endocrines in Bat Reproduction

Cited by 5 publications

References 50 publications

Reproduction elevates the corticosterone stress response in common fruit bats

Reproduction elevates the corticosterone stress response in common fruit bats

Baseline and stress‐induced glucocorticoids during reproduction in the variable flying fox, Pteropus hypomelanus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae)

Inter- and intra-specific variation in hair cortisol concentrations of Neotropical bats

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