Carlson Debra A, Gese Eric M
Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230, USA.
United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230, USA.
J Mammal. 2008 Jun 5;89(3):654-664. doi: 10.1644/06-MAMM-A-436R1.1.
The reproductive biology of wild species is often described as unique among mammals because an unusual combination of behavioral and physiological characteristics including a seasonally monestrous cycle, copulatory lock or tie, obligatory pseudopregnancy, social monogamy, and biparental care of the young. We investigated social behavior, endocrine profiles, and vaginal cytology of female coyotes () during 4 breeding seasons, 2000-2003. Blood levels of estradiol, progesterone, prolactin, and relaxin were measured, and mating behavior and changes in vaginal epithelium were documented. After aligning the data from each individual to her estimated day of ovulation, we compared pregnant coyotes with nonpregnant females and evaluated temporal relationships among hormone levels, behavior, and vaginal cytology. We found that patterns of proceptive and receptive behaviors correlated with the secretion of steroid hormones, as did vaginal epithelial cytomorphosis. In addition, although progesterone levels of pregnant and pseudopregnant coyotes were indistinguishable, prolactin demonstrated a discernible intergroup difference and relaxin was only detectable in pregnant females. Although this study included characteristics not previously published for this species, it also showed how key aspects of reproduction were correlated temporally, and emphasized the importance of an integrated perspective when addressing the reproductive biology of coyotes, or other wild species of canids.
野生动物的生殖生物学在哺乳动物中常被描述为独特的，因为其具有行为和生理特征的不寻常组合，包括季节性单发情周期、交配锁或交配栓、强制性假孕、社会一夫一妻制以及双亲对幼崽的照料。我们在2000年至2003年的4个繁殖季节中，对雌性郊狼的社会行为、内分泌特征和阴道细胞学进行了研究。测量了雌二醇、孕酮、催乳素和松弛素的血液水平，并记录了交配行为和阴道上皮的变化。在将每个个体的数据与她估计的排卵日对齐后，我们将怀孕的郊狼与未怀孕的雌性进行了比较，并评估了激素水平、行为和阴道细胞学之间的时间关系。我们发现，求偶行为和接受行为的模式与类固醇激素的分泌相关，阴道上皮细胞形态变化也是如此。此外，尽管怀孕和假孕郊狼的孕酮水平无法区分，但催乳素表现出明显的组间差异，松弛素仅在怀孕雌性中可检测到。尽管这项研究包括了该物种以前未发表的特征，但它也展示了生殖关键方面在时间上的相关性，并强调了在研究郊狼或其他野生犬科动物的生殖生物学时采用综合观点的重要性。
