RESUMO ABSTRACTIntroduction: Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonosis that affects many mammals, and domestic canids are the main reservoirs in urban environments. This note describes infection by Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi among wild canids kept in captivity in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Methods: Skin, bone marrow and lymph node samples were collected from six crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous) and one bush dog (Spheotos venaticus), in order to detect and characterize Leishmania using the PCR-RFLP technique. Results: All the animals studied were positive for Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of adequate monitoring of these animals, as well as greater control of this disease, given that these animals are in a public recreation environment.

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Blood samples collection is a common method in biological research using domestic animals. However, most blood sampling techniques are complicated and highly invasive and may therefore not be appropriate for wildlife animals in research concerning stress. Thus, a non-invasive method to measure steroid hormones is critically needed. The first goal of this study was to determine how glucocorticoids concentrations are impacted by translocation and reproductive activity in crab-eating-fox (Cerdocyoun thous) in captivity. The physiological relevance of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites was further validated by demonstrating: (1) The translocation of a male to a females enclosure resulted in a 3.5-fold increase compared to baseline concentrations, (2) changes in adrenocortical activity, as reflected in concentrations of fecal cortisol metabolites during reproduction, gestation and lactation in females foxes, indicating that social interactions resulted in large increases of fecal glucocorticoids metabolites during the reproductive season. From these findings we conclude that fecal samples can be used for the non-invasive assessment of adrenocortical status in crab-eating-fox.

Blood sampling is a common method in biological research of domestic animals for studying hormone mechanisms. However, this approach can be stressful for wild species, and compromise research concerning animal welfare. The crab-eating fox (Cerdocyoun thous) is a medium-sized canid found in South America and a popular zoo species in that region. However, almost nothing is known of their biology or what factors impact captive welfare. Thus, a non-invasive method to measure adrenal activity and stress was developed for quantifying fecal glucocorticoids non-invasively in this species. The physiological relevance of the cortisol immunoassay was demonstrated by injection of exogenous ACTH into two males and one female, which led to a significant increase in fecal glucocorticoid metabolites within 24-48 h. From these findings we conclude that fecal samples can be used for the non-invasive assessment of adrenocortical status in crab-eating fox.

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In this study, four crab-eating fox females (Cerdocyon thous) maintained at the Federal University of Mato Grosso Zoo, Cuiabá, Brazil, were investigated for 12 months, using feces measurement of estradiol and progesterone concentrations. Fecal collections were performed three times a week for hormone extraction. Two methods of analysis, Elisa (EIA) and Radioimmunoassay (RIA), were used in the measurement of progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) metabolites. The aim of this study was to compare and validate two different methods of hormone measurement for C. thous. There were no differences regarding the method used. The Radioimmunoassay technique proved to be more sensitive, however, both showed similar results.Keywords: radioimmunoassay, Elisa, estradiol, progesterone, fecal RESUMO Neste estudo, quatro fêmeas de cachorros-do-mato (Cerdocyon thous) mantidas no Zoológico da