Refining the moose serum progesterone threshold to diagnose pregnancy

• DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad003
• Publication Date: 2023-02-20T13:27:18Z
• Authors: Madeline Struck; William J Severud; Yvette M Chenaux-...; Edmund J. Isaac; Janine L Brown; Seth A Moore; Tiffany M Wolf
• Keywords: Progestogen; Palpation

Abstract Pregnancy determination is necessary for sound wildlife management and understanding population dynamics. rates are sensitive to environmental physiological factors may indicate the overall trajectory of a population. can be assessed through direct methods (rectal palpation, sonography) or indicated using hormonal assays (serum progesterone pregnancy-specific protein B, fecal progestogen metabolites). A commonly used threshold 2 ng/ml in serum has been by moose biologists pregnancy but not rigorously investigated. To refine this threshold, we examined relationship between concentrations samples 87 (Alces alces; 64 female, 23 male) captured from 2010 2020 Grand Portage Indian Reservation northeastern Minnesota, USA. was confirmed via rectal palpation (n = 25), necropsy 2), calf observation 25) characteristic pre-calving behavior 6), with total 58 females determined pregnant 6 pregnant; males were included increase non-pregnant sample size. Using receiver operating analysis, identified an optimal 1.115 specificity 0.97 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90–1.00) sensitivity 0.98 CI 0.95–1.00). Progesterone significantly higher cases versus cows, did detect difference single twin births. We applied our newly refined calculate annual all female 133) 2021. Mean rate during period 91% ranged annually 69.2 100%. Developing reliable method determining status analyses will allow managers assess without devoting substantial time resources monitoring.