Abstract:
As global non-human primate populations show dramatic declines due to climate change, land transformation and other
anthropogenic stressors, it has become imperative to study physiological responses to environmental change in order
to understand primate adaptability and enhance species conservation strategies. We examined the effects of seasonality
on faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations of free-ranging male and female thick-tailed greater galagos
(Otolemur crassicaudatus) in an Afromontane habitat. To do so, we established an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for monitoring
fGCM concentrations in the species using a biological validation. Following this, faecal samples were collected each month
over the course of a year from free-ranging males and females situated in the Soutpansberg Mountains, Limpopo, South Africa.
Multivariate analyses revealed lactation period was a driver of fGCM levels, whereas sex and food availability mostly influenced
seasonal fGCM concentrations in the total population. Thus far, the results of this study show that drivers of fGCM levels, an
indication of increased adrenocortical activity, inO. crassicaudatus are numerous and complex within the natural environment.
The species may be adapted to such conditions and an extreme change to any one component may result in elevated fGCM
levels. This increases our understanding of strepsirrhine primate physiology and offers initial insights into species adaptability
to a challenging environment.
