Assessment of Adrenocortical Activity and Behavior of the Collared Anteater (Tamandua tetradactyla) in Response to Food-Based Environmental Enrichment

EGUIZABAL GABINA, RUPERT PALME, VILLARREAL DANIEL, DAL BORGO CARLA, DI RIENZO JULIO, BUSSO JUAN MANUEL

ZOO BIOLOGY

WILEY-LISS, DIV JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2013 vol. 32 p. 632 - 640

0733-3188

One of the current standard approaches to the study of animal welfare is measuring hypothalamic¨Cpituitary¨Cadrenal activity, frequently in association with behavioral assessment. We studied the effects of food©\based environmental enrichment on adrenocortical activity and behavior in zoo©\housed collared anteaters (Tamandua tetradactyla; n=5). We successfully validated measurements of fecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs) using an 11©\oxoetiocholanolone enzyme immunoassay by stimulating (ACTH injection) and suppressing (dexamethasone administration) adrenocortical activity. Three months later, we subjected animals to an ABA©\type experiment (three 6©\week periods): pre©\enrichment (routine diet: A), enrichment (modified diet: B), and post©\enrichment (routine diet: A) periods. We assessed adrenocortical activity by collecting individual feces three times a week (total number of samples: 228), and evaluated behavior by performing 3 days of behavioral observations per period (with a total of 3,600 behavioral data points for the individuals studied). Statistical analysis revealed changes in FCM concentrations (mg/g) over the periods (3.04¡À0.68, 2.98¡À0.66, and 4.04¡À0.90, respectively). Additionally, it showed that the number of FCM peaks was highly reduced during enrichment; meanwhile active natural behaviors were significantly increased. We consider that these changes in response to food©\based environmental enrichment improved the welfare of individual zoo©\housed collared anteaters. This research might contribute to in situ and ex situ studies on the physiology and behavior of this endemic South American species.