Killer whale fecal samples: How to get the most out of a single extraction.

• Published in: General and Comparative Endocrinology
• Main Authors: Melica, V, Thornton, S J
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Science 2024
• Subjects: Fecal hormones; Fecal lipids; Hormone extraction; Killer whale; Lipid extraction; Dyer; Killer Whale; Orca; Orcinus orca
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114544; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38705419

Fecal samples are a non-invasive and relatively accessible matrix for investigating physiological processes in resident killer whale (Orcinus orca) populations. The high lipid content of the diet (primarily salmonids) leads to lower density fecal material and slower dispersion, facilitating sample c...