title: Basal body temperature method for detecting ovarian cycle in the Captive Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas).
abstract: The relationship between basal body temperature and circulating progesterone levels were investigated in a female beluga. Body temperature and serum concentrations of progesterone were measured daily and at 2-4 week intervals respectively, in a female beluga that was in captivity for 7 years between 1996 and 2003. The beluga first ovulated in April, 2000 (13 years old). Thereafter, serum concentrations of progesterone showed cyclic changes, indicating that the ovulatory cycle had started. Serum concentrations of progesterone ranged from 0.1 ng/ml to 15.7 ng/ml. Body temperature also showed cyclic changes during the estrous cycle. Body temperature ranged from 34.9 to 35.9 C, and tended to reach the peak during the high progesterone phase. Mating behavior was observed during the low body temperature phase. The changes in body temperature positively correlated with the circulating progesterone levels. The length of the estrous cycle was 36.7 +/- 3.9 (mean +/- SEM) days based on the intervals between the days of mating behavior. This is the first report demonstrating that body temperature clearly changes during the estrous cycle in a captive female beluga. The present finding suggests that measurement of body temperature is a useful method for detecting the ovarian cycle of the beluga in captivity.
authors.affiliation: International Marine Biological Research Institute, Kamogawa Sea World, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katsumata
authors.forename: Chie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Katsumata
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050643:Beluga Whale / Q000502:physiology*; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone