Effects of capture stress on free-ranging, reproductively active male Weddell seals

Physiological stress responses to capture may be an indicator of welfare challenges induced by animal handling. Simultaneously, blood chemistry changes induced by stress responses may confound experimental design by interacting with the biological parameters being measured. Cortisol elevation is a c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Comparative Physiology A
Main Authors: Harcourt, Robert Geoffrey, Turner, Emma, Hall, Ailsa, Waas, Joseph R., Hindell, Mark
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2010
Subjects:
Marine mammals
Leptonychotes weddellii
Handling stress
Cortisol
Antarctica
BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS
BLUBBER FATTY-ACIDS
LEPTONYCHOTES-WEDDELLII
ELEPHANT SEALS
TURSIOPS-TRUNCATUS
HALICHOERUS-GRYPUS
PLASMA-CORTISOL
MCMURDO SOUND
WILD ANIMALS
GREY SEALS
Antarc*
Elephant Seals
McMurdo Sound
Weddell Seals
Online Access:https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/effects-of-capture-stress-on-freeranging-reproductively-active-male-weddell-seals(2d6d2108-8b93-462c-a062-af34497a24b1).html
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-009-0501-0
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Summary:Physiological stress responses to capture may be an indicator of welfare challenges induced by animal handling. Simultaneously, blood chemistry changes induced by stress responses may confound experimental design by interacting with the biological parameters being measured. Cortisol elevation is a common indicator of stress responses in mammals and reproductive condition can profoundly influence endocrine response. We measured changes in blood cortisol and testosterone induced by handling reproductively active male Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) early and late in the breeding season. Weddell seals have the highest resting cortisol levels of all mammals yet showed a clear, prolonged elevation in cortisol in response to capture. Responses were similar when first caught and when caught a second time, later in the breeding season. Baseline testosterone levels declined over the breeding season but were not altered by capture. Administering a light dose of diazepam significantly ameliorated the cortisol response of handled animals without affecting testosterone levels. This may be an effective way of reducing acute capture stress responses. Male breeding success in years males were handled was no different to the years they were not, despite the acute capture response, suggesting no long-term impact of handling on male reproductive output.

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