Elevated urinary cortisol in a timber wolf ( Canis lupus ): a result of social behaviour or adrenal pathology?

In a previously published report, a male timber wolf (Canis lupus) was identified as having significantly elevated urinary cortisol to creatinine ratios relative to other males in the pack. This second-ranking animal, whose social status was being challenged, was involved in far more aggressive inte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Zoology
Main Authors: Moger, William H, Ferns, Lyn E, Wright, Jr., James R, Gadbois, Simon, McLeod, Peter J
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1998
Subjects:
Animal Science and Zoology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Canis lupus
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z98-125
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z98-125
Description
Summary:In a previously published report, a male timber wolf (Canis lupus) was identified as having significantly elevated urinary cortisol to creatinine ratios relative to other males in the pack. This second-ranking animal, whose social status was being challenged, was involved in far more aggressive interactions than any other pack member. The wolf died 3 years later from gastric and splenic torsion. Necropsy revealed a unilateral adrenal tumour identified by histology and electron microscopy to be a cortical adenoma. This finding is based on the presence of abundant lipid and no evidence of neurosecretory granules. Whether the increased cortisol levels in this wolf were the result of social stress, as originally suggested, the tumour, or both is uncertain.

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