A Tall Order: Hormones and Behavior in Giraffes
Hormones are chemical messengers produced by specific organs in the body that travel in the blood to target tissues and influence behavior and physiology. The major hormone of interest to us is progesterone, a steroid hormone produced by the ovary and placenta in females. The body is constantly churning out new hormones, while destroying the […]
Fecal Progestagen and Estrone During Pregnancy in a Giraffe: A Case Report
The present study was carried out to measure fecal progestagen and estrone concentrations during pregnancy in a giraffe and examine the possibility of utilizing this assay system for pregnancy diagnosis. Fecal samples were collected from a giraffe during her third and fourth parities and mixed with methanol to prepare a fecal solution. Diluted fecal solution […]
Urinary steroid evaluations to monitor ovarian function in exotic ungulates: II. Comparison between the giraffe (giraffa camelopardalis) and the okapi (okapia johnstoni)
Ovarian activity in the female giraffe was evaluated during the nonfertile ovarian cycle and during the terminal stages of gestation. Progesterone metabolites, in the form of pregnanediol‐3‐glucuronide (PdG), were measured in daily random urine samples collected from four adult parous giraffes. The follicular phase averaged 4.0 ± 0.1 days in length (N = 12; range […]
Fecal steroid analysis of female giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) reproductive condition and the impact of endocrine status on daily time budgets
Gestation and lactation can impose substantial energetic costs on female mammals. We developed a non-invasive means to determine reproductive condition in female giraffe using fecal steroid analysis. Giraffe may be especially challenged during their reproductive cycle because of two characteristics: they are impregnated while lactating and they do not breed seasonally. We studied the social […]
Evaluation of Progesterone Levels in Feces of Captive Reticulated Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata)
Fresh fecal samples were collected from seven adult female reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata). Samples were collected for several weeks before, during, and for a few weeks after gestation. Fecal samples were analyzed for progesterone levels by radioimmunoassay. There were significant differences in progesterone levels between pregestational and gestational samples and between gestational and postgestational […]
Serum progesterone levels in captive giraffe
Serum progesterone values for giraffe had not been previously published in literature. In this abstract reference ranges are given based off serum progesterone values obtained from a 10 year old captive female giraffe.