Giant Pandas: Endocrinology of the giant panda and application of hormone technology to species management

摘要: INTRODUCTION Increasing breeding success in the giant panda requires a better understanding of its complex reproductive biology. We know that female is typically mono-oestrus during season which occurs from February to May (within and outside China). Behavioural physiological changes associated with pro-oestrus oestrus last one two weeks, exhibits proceptive behaviours, such as scent marking, advertise her sexual receptivity (Lindburg et al ., 2001). During peri-ovulatory interval, receptive behaviours (e.g. tail-up lordotic posture) climax copulation generally occurring over one- three-day interval. Birthing June October gestation 85 185 days (Zhu This unusually wide span due phenomenon delayed implantation, varied interval before conceptus implants uterus begins foetal development. The driving force behind implantation this species unknown. also experiences pseudopregnancy, whereby behavioural, hormonal similar pregnancy. cues both pregnancy pseudopregnancy include decreased appetite, nest-building cradling vulvar swelling colouration, mammary gland enlargement lethargy. Additionally, temporal quantitative progesterone patterns (tracked by assessing urinary hormone by-products progestins) are indistinguishable between pseudopregnancy. Therefore, no definitive test currently exists for identifying pregnant pseudopregnant pandas.