Urinary oestrogen and progesterone excretion before and during pregnancy in a pied bare-face tamarin ( Saguinus bicolor bicolor )

Authors:
  • EPE. Pröve
    E. Pröve
  • HWH.-J. Wolters
    H.-J. Wolters
  • GMG. Mika
    G. Mika
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Abstract
Summary.: Oestrone, oestradiol-17β and progesterone were measured by radioimmunoassay in daily urine samples after pairing and during subsequent pregnancy in a pied bare-face tamarin. On the basis of excretion profiles an ovarian cycle length of about 3 weeks and a gestation length of about 160 days are suggested. Oestrone was the predominant urinary oestrogen excreted by the non-pregnant and pregnant pied bareface tamarin, the oestrone/oestradiol ratio being greater than 100:1. The results suggest that steroid monitoring can provide useful information about reproductive physiology in this species of tamarin.