Seasonal glucocorticoid responses to capture in wild free-living mammals ...

• Main Authors: Romero, L. Michael, Meister, Cecile J., Cyr, Nicole E., Kenagy, G. J., Wingfield, John C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2008
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Mammalia; Chiroptera; Chordata; Animalia; bats; bat; Lemmus trimucronatus
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13510318; https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.13510318

(Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) We determined baseline and capture-induced glucocorticoid concentrations during two different seasons in three species of wild free-living rodents: brown lemmings ( Lemmus trimucronatus), golden-mantled ground squirrels ( Spermophilus saturatus), and yellow-pine chipmunks ( Tamias amoenus). Initial blood samples were obtained within 3 min of capture, so that initial glucocorticoid levels reflect baseline titers of undisturbed animals. Animals were held for an additional 30 min, when a second blood sample was taken to measure stress-induced glucocorticoid titers. The primary glucocorticoid differed in each species. Lemmings secreted extremely large amounts of corticosterone (as high as 8,000 ng/ml). These high concentrations were accompanied by high corticosterone-binding globulin capacity and resistance to negative feedback. Squirrels and chipmunks secreted a mixture of cortisol and corticosterone (10–400 ng/ml). In males of all three species and female ...