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...
Published in: | Journal of Comparative Physiology A |
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Language: | English |
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2010
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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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ftunstandrewcris:oai:research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/2d6d2108-8b93-462c-a062-af34497a24b1 2024-06-23T07:47:57+00:00 Effects of capture stress on free-ranging, reproductively active male Weddell seals Harcourt, Robert Geoffrey Turner, Emma Hall, Ailsa Waas, Joseph R. Hindell, Mark 2010-02 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 eng eng 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 info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Harcourt , R G , Turner , E , Hall , A , Waas , J R & Hindell , M 2010 , ' Effects of capture stress on free-ranging, reproductively active male Weddell seals ' , Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology , vol. 196 , no. 2 , pp. 147-154 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-009-0501-0 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 article 2010 ftunstandrewcris https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-009-0501-0 2024-06-13T00:28:13Z 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. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Elephant Seals McMurdo Sound Weddell Seals University of St Andrews: Research Portal McMurdo Sound Weddell Journal of Comparative Physiology A 196 2 147 154 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftunstandrewcris |
language |
English |
topic |
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 |
spellingShingle |
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 Harcourt, Robert Geoffrey Turner, Emma Hall, Ailsa Waas, Joseph R. Hindell, Mark Effects of capture stress on free-ranging, reproductively active male Weddell seals |
topic_facet |
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 |
description |
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. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Harcourt, Robert Geoffrey Turner, Emma Hall, Ailsa Waas, Joseph R. Hindell, Mark |
author_facet |
Harcourt, Robert Geoffrey Turner, Emma Hall, Ailsa Waas, Joseph R. Hindell, Mark |
author_sort |
Harcourt, Robert Geoffrey |
title |
Effects of capture stress on free-ranging, reproductively active male Weddell seals |
title_short |
Effects of capture stress on free-ranging, reproductively active male Weddell seals |
title_full |
Effects of capture stress on free-ranging, reproductively active male Weddell seals |
title_fullStr |
Effects of capture stress on free-ranging, reproductively active male Weddell seals |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effects of capture stress on free-ranging, reproductively active male Weddell seals |
title_sort |
effects of capture stress on free-ranging, reproductively active male weddell seals |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
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 |
geographic |
McMurdo Sound Weddell |
geographic_facet |
McMurdo Sound Weddell |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Elephant Seals McMurdo Sound Weddell Seals |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Elephant Seals McMurdo Sound Weddell Seals |
op_source |
Harcourt , R G , Turner , E , Hall , A , Waas , J R & Hindell , M 2010 , ' Effects of capture stress on free-ranging, reproductively active male Weddell seals ' , Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology , vol. 196 , no. 2 , pp. 147-154 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-009-0501-0 |
op_relation |
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 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-009-0501-0 |
container_title |
Journal of Comparative Physiology A |
container_volume |
196 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
147 |
op_container_end_page |
154 |
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1802638247891828736 |