13 results match your criteria: "Center for Animal Care Sciences[Affiliation]"

Article Synopsis
  • Environmental variation affects reproductive success in black-footed ferrets, both in human care and the wild, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood.
  • The study explored DNA methylation as a key epigenetic factor influencing reproductive health, finding significant differences in sperm quality between ferrets in ex situ facilities and those in the wild
  • Results indicate that DNA methylation may regulate reproductive traits, highlighting its potential role in the fertility issues faced by male black-footed ferrets in managed care.
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Article Synopsis
  • * A study of 48 ferrets at the Smithsonian National Zoo found that their gut microbiomes varied significantly between the breeding and non-breeding seasons, with notable differences between male and female populations during breeding.
  • * The findings revealed low diversity in gut bacteria and high levels of potentially harmful microbes, suggesting the need for further research and therapeutic options to enhance gut health and support the conservation of black-footed ferrets.
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Physiological impacts of temperature variability and climate warming in hellbenders ().

Conserv Physiol

September 2021

Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA.

Cold-adapted hellbender salamanders that inhabit cool mountain streams are expected to fare poorly under warmer projected climate scenarios. This study investigated the physiological consequences of long-term, naturalistic temperature variation on juvenile hellbenders under simulated current and warmer (+1.6 C) climates vs.

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The disease chytridiomycosis caused by the fungus Bd has devastated amphibian populations worldwide. Functional genomic contributions to host susceptibility remain enigmatic and vary between species and populations. We conducted experimental Bd infections in Rana yavapaiensis, a species with intraspecific variation in chytridiomycosis susceptibility, to assess the skin and spleen transcriptomic response to infection over time.

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The ex situ population of fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) has become increasingly important for the conservation of this species. Unfortunately, captivity-induced stress is a concern and potential factor for lack of breeding success in this small felid, resulting in an unsustainable population. The objectives of this study were to: 1) validate an enzyme immunoassay for monitoring of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations in the fishing cat; 2) identify potential exogenous stressors in the captive environment; 3) pinpoint management techniques that may lower FGM concentrations; and 4) determine if FGM concentrations are related to breeding success.

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Additional measures of well-being would be beneficial to the management of a variety of species in human care, including elephants. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is an immune protein associated with pathogen defense, which has been demonstrated to decrease during times of stress, and increase in response to positive stimuli. This paper describes the development and validation of an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the quantification of Asian elephant () IgA in feces, saliva, urine, and serum.

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A better understanding of the factors influencing the biology of amphibian spermatozoa after release from the testis is a prerequisite to the development of sperm preservation methods. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of extracellular conditions (exposure to water and different temperatures) over time on the sperm motility and structural properties (including morphology and DNA integrity) collected from hormonally stimulated Atelopus zeteki. Following intraperitoneal injection of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (des-Gly, D-Ala, Pro-NHEt GnRH; 4 μg/g of body weight), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG, 10 IU/gbw), or Amphiplex™ (0.

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Stable flies are noxious blood-feeding pests of exotic animals at zoological parks, inflicting painful bites, and causing discomfort to animals. Stable fly management is difficult because of the flies' tendency to remain on the host animals only when feeding. Non-toxic traps can be efficient but traps placed around exhibit perimeters captured fewer-than-expected numbers of flies.

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Knowledge of basic gamete biology is critical to better protect and propagate endangered amphibian species and also to develop reproductive technologies combined with germplasm cryopreservation. The objectives of the study were to test different hormonal stimulations and then characterize the quantity and quality of Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki) spermatozoa. Following intraperitoneal injection of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (des-Gly, D-Ala, Pro-NHEt-GnRH 1, 2 or 4 μg/g of body weight), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; 5 or 10 IU/gbw), or Amphiplex™ (0.

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The relationship between amphibian immune function and disease susceptibility is of primary concern given current worldwide declines linked to the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). We experimentally infected lowland leopard frogs (Lithobates yavapaiensis) with Bd to test the hypothesis that infection causes physiological stress and stimulates humoral and cell-mediated immune function in the blood. We measured body mass, the ratio of circulating neutrophils to lymphocytes (a known indicator of physiological stress) and plasma bacterial killing ability (BKA; a measure of innate immune function).

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The evolution of self-control.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

May 2014

Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.

Cognition presents evolutionary research with one of its greatest challenges. Cognitive evolution has been explained at the proximate level by shifts in absolute and relative brain volume and at the ultimate level by differences in social and dietary complexity. However, no study has integrated the experimental and phylogenetic approach at the scale required to rigorously test these explanations.

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Spatial distribution, seasonality and trap preference of stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans L. (Diptera: Muscidae), adults on a 12-hectare zoological park.

Zoo Biol

August 2014

Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska; Center for Animal Care Sciences, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia.

Although this study was originally designed to compare the efficacy of two different stable fly traps within 10 sites at a 12-ha zoological park, seasonal and spatial population distribution data were simultaneously collected. The two traps included an Alsynite fiberglass cylindrical trap (AFT) and a blue-black cloth target modified into a cylindrical trap (BCT). Both traps were covered with sticky sleeves to retain the attracted flies.

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The ability to appreciate the attentional states of others is an important element used in discerning the presence of Theory of Mind in an individual. Whether primates are able to recognize attention, and further, use such information to predict behavior, remains contentious. In this study, six western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) were tested under different conditions that aimed to investigate not only their understanding of what a human experimenter sees, but also what information they use to make these judgments.

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