Stress, Corticosterone, and Heterophil to Lymphocyte Ratios in Free-Living Adélie Penguins
Abstract We measured corticosterone in plasma collected from free-living Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) and made blood smears to count the ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes (H/L). Our objective was to categorize how these two measures of stress vary with potential stressors in the birds'...
Published in: | The Condor |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Oxford University Press (OUP)
2000
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/condor/102.2.392 http://academic.oup.com/condor/article-pdf/102/2/392/29710333/condor0392.pdf |
id |
croxfordunivpr:10.1093/condor/102.2.392 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
croxfordunivpr:10.1093/condor/102.2.392 2024-05-19T07:47:39+00:00 Stress, Corticosterone, and Heterophil to Lymphocyte Ratios in Free-Living Adélie Penguins Vleck, Carol M. Vertalino, Nicole Vleck, David Bucher, Theresa L. 2000 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/condor/102.2.392 http://academic.oup.com/condor/article-pdf/102/2/392/29710333/condor0392.pdf en eng Oxford University Press (OUP) The Condor volume 102, issue 2, page 392-400 ISSN 0010-5422 1938-5129 journal-article 2000 croxfordunivpr https://doi.org/10.1093/condor/102.2.392 2024-04-25T07:57:37Z Abstract We measured corticosterone in plasma collected from free-living Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) and made blood smears to count the ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes (H/L). Our objective was to categorize how these two measures of stress vary with potential stressors in the birds' environment. In penguins that were repeatedly sampled from three to eight times, repeated handling did not affect corticosterone levels or H/L, but there were significant differences among individuals. Nesting stage did not affect corticosterone level, but H/L was significantly lower during the chick stage than in the courting or incubation stages. Sex and handling times of less than 5 min had no effect on either corticosterone or H/L. In birds that had fasted up to 40 days during the courtship and early incubation stages, there was no increase in corticosterone or H/L with length of fasting, but in birds that had fasted more than 50 days, corticosterone levels increased. Birds with obvious injuries had significantly higher H/L than birds that had recently engaged in fights or those caring for chicks, but corticosterone levels did not differ in these groups. In free-living birds, H/L ratios provide a measure of stress that may be more useful than a single measure of plasma corticosterone in assessing response to chronic stressors like injury or crowded conditions in the breeding colony. Article in Journal/Newspaper Pygoscelis adeliae Oxford University Press The Condor 102 2 392 400 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Oxford University Press |
op_collection_id |
croxfordunivpr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract We measured corticosterone in plasma collected from free-living Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) and made blood smears to count the ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes (H/L). Our objective was to categorize how these two measures of stress vary with potential stressors in the birds' environment. In penguins that were repeatedly sampled from three to eight times, repeated handling did not affect corticosterone levels or H/L, but there were significant differences among individuals. Nesting stage did not affect corticosterone level, but H/L was significantly lower during the chick stage than in the courting or incubation stages. Sex and handling times of less than 5 min had no effect on either corticosterone or H/L. In birds that had fasted up to 40 days during the courtship and early incubation stages, there was no increase in corticosterone or H/L with length of fasting, but in birds that had fasted more than 50 days, corticosterone levels increased. Birds with obvious injuries had significantly higher H/L than birds that had recently engaged in fights or those caring for chicks, but corticosterone levels did not differ in these groups. In free-living birds, H/L ratios provide a measure of stress that may be more useful than a single measure of plasma corticosterone in assessing response to chronic stressors like injury or crowded conditions in the breeding colony. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Vleck, Carol M. Vertalino, Nicole Vleck, David Bucher, Theresa L. |
spellingShingle |
Vleck, Carol M. Vertalino, Nicole Vleck, David Bucher, Theresa L. Stress, Corticosterone, and Heterophil to Lymphocyte Ratios in Free-Living Adélie Penguins |
author_facet |
Vleck, Carol M. Vertalino, Nicole Vleck, David Bucher, Theresa L. |
author_sort |
Vleck, Carol M. |
title |
Stress, Corticosterone, and Heterophil to Lymphocyte Ratios in Free-Living Adélie Penguins |
title_short |
Stress, Corticosterone, and Heterophil to Lymphocyte Ratios in Free-Living Adélie Penguins |
title_full |
Stress, Corticosterone, and Heterophil to Lymphocyte Ratios in Free-Living Adélie Penguins |
title_fullStr |
Stress, Corticosterone, and Heterophil to Lymphocyte Ratios in Free-Living Adélie Penguins |
title_full_unstemmed |
Stress, Corticosterone, and Heterophil to Lymphocyte Ratios in Free-Living Adélie Penguins |
title_sort |
stress, corticosterone, and heterophil to lymphocyte ratios in free-living adélie penguins |
publisher |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
publishDate |
2000 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/condor/102.2.392 http://academic.oup.com/condor/article-pdf/102/2/392/29710333/condor0392.pdf |
genre |
Pygoscelis adeliae |
genre_facet |
Pygoscelis adeliae |
op_source |
The Condor volume 102, issue 2, page 392-400 ISSN 0010-5422 1938-5129 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/condor/102.2.392 |
container_title |
The Condor |
container_volume |
102 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
392 |
op_container_end_page |
400 |
_version_ |
1799488093728800768 |