Meeting Abstract
We are investigating factors impacting pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) population growth rates and fawn:doe ratios by conducting non-invasive fecal sampling from adult females. Fecal sampling was used to investigate reproductive physiology, physiological stress, diet, and nutrition, across habitat types, as they relate to subsequent fawn:doe ratios. We conducted validations for using fecal hormone metabolites to assess pregnancy rates, which has not previously been done for pronghorn. For validations, we collected fecals from two classes of female pronghorn, visibly pregnant and yearling, during late third trimester when pregnancy can be visually-diagnosed. Assay validations were performed to determine appropriate hormone concentrations, assay precision, and potential non-specific binding. From this work, we validated hormone concentrations that equate to pregnant versus nonpregnant individuals, calculated a pregnancy rate within each population and across the species in Idaho, and performed a hormone degradation study of female reproductive hormones to test the duration they remain viable in feces. Overall, this research will add to the growing body of literature utilizing non-invasive sampling techniques to monitor free-ranging wildlife populations. Specifically, we will elucidate factors that may be limiting pronghorn populations, provide insight on the physiological measures influencing pronghorn productivity, and provide parameters useful for population modelling
