Urinary cortisol sampling: a non‐invasive technique for examining cortisol concentrations in the Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii

Abstract This study investigated the feasibility and validity of using non‐invasively collected ice urine samples to measure cortisol concentrations in Weddell seals. Radio‐immunoassays were used to determine urinary cortisol, and spectrophotometric assay was used to determine creatinine concentrati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zoo Biology
Main Authors: Constable, Sophie, Parslow, Arana, Dutton, Geoff, Rogers, Tracey, Hogg, Carolyn
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2006
Subjects:
Weddell
Weddell Seal
Weddell Seals
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/zoo.20088
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fzoo.20088
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/zoo.20088
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Summary:Abstract This study investigated the feasibility and validity of using non‐invasively collected ice urine samples to measure cortisol concentrations in Weddell seals. Radio‐immunoassays were used to determine urinary cortisol, and spectrophotometric assay was used to determine creatinine concentrations. This allowed for urinary cortisol/creatinine ratios (UCCR) to be compared between pure urine and urine collected from the ice. Urinary cortisol/creatinine ratios values of ice urine proved an effective method of studying cortisol concentrations in Weddell seals as there was no difference between pure urine and ice urine UCCR values. There were no inter‐sexual or age‐related differences in UCCR values in either pure or ice urine. Zoo Biol 0:1–8, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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