Abstract

LOPEZ-COBA, Ermilo Humberto  and  MONTES-PEREZ, Rubén Cornelio. Measurement of fecal testosterone, progesterone and estrogen metabolites as a method to determine sex in white tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2016, vol.87, n.1, pp.180-186. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmb.2015.09.021.

We obtained feces of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in captivity from management units for the wildlife conservation, located in Mérida and Ticul, Yucatán, Mexico, in order to measure testosterone, progesterone and estrogen metabolites concentrations using radioinmunoanalysis. We obtained detectable levels of the 3 metabolites, which were analyzed by predictive theory. Indexes progesterone /testosterone -both at 1: 2 dilution and dilution 1: 20/1: 2, respectively-, had the highest efficiency (77.5%) to determine sex in non-breeding season properly. During the breeding season the progesterone /testosterone index -dilution 1: 2/1: 20, respectively, had the highest efficiency (68.75%). These efficiencies were higher than those obtained by indirect methods for determining the sex ratio in white-tailed deer. The method of sex determination by estimating fecal hormone metabolites is likely to be applied to wild populations of white-tailed deer.

Keywords : Populations; Hormones; Feces; Radioinmunoanalysis.

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