A Study On The Dynamics Of Reproductive Hormones In The Feces Of Captive Tigers During Different Physiological Periods

It is important to use fecal as a material to analyze the level of reproductive hormone and then according this result to assess the physiological state which means a lot for the reproduction management of the rare animals. This method has not been applied in the practical reproduction management, mainly because some technical issues has not been figured out, especially the factors which leading the data a big fluctuation haven’t been known completely. In order to solve this problem, we elected captive Siberian tiger(Panthera tigris altaica) and the South China tiger(P anther a tigris amoyensis) as experimental animals. We used morning fresh feces as materials to analyze the level of three kinds of sex hormones including progesterone, testosterone by ELISA. By comparing and analyzing the variety of fecal hormone in different physiological periods and feeding environment, We got the fluctuations and the influence factors of the level of three sex hormone in tiger’s feces.Results indicated that:The levels of three sex hormones in fecal were no signifi-cant different at different positions(P<0.05). For the same individual, the levels of three sex hormones were significant different between morning and afternoon(P<0.05). And we found there was no significant different for the levels of three sex hormones betwe-en two states of fecal (dry tangible feces and wet intangible feces), (P>0.05). For fe-male tigers, in the same breeding environment, there was a significant change for the three sex hormone during oestrum, diestru and gestation. There was a higher level of estradiol in estrus, and a lower in diestru and gestation. There was a significantly high-er level of progesterone during pregnancy than other periods; for male tigers, the level of testosterone in mating is higher than other periods. Because the data of three sex h-ormone had a wide range in various periods,, even overlap each other, the accuracy is low according to the population data to discriminate physiological period of each indi-vidual. For Harbin population, the correctness of Oestrus’ discrimination of known sam-ples using estradiol is 33.8%. The correctness of gestation’s discrimination using proge-sterone is 48.7% for Harbin population, and 37.5% for Hengdaohezi population. The le-vel of three sex hormone was significant different in different breeding environment for Siberian tiger.Furthermore we found there was obvious personal characteristic for hormone. If we plan to use sex hormone in breeding management, we must pay more attention to so me problem:selecting fresh feces in the morning; Mixing the fecal overall when analy-zing; establishing the file of hormone level for each individual as theoretical foundation to pre-judging oestrum and pregnancy or not; to avoid the influence of environmental, establishing their own hormone database for each population.