title: Evaluation of the fecal steroid concentrations in Alouatta belzebul (Primates, Atelidae) in the National Forest of Tapirape-Aquiri in Pará, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The studies on fecal steroid metabolites published with free-living primates are limited mainly by the difficulty in obtaining samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  A radioimmunoassay was used to measure the fecal steroid concentrations in Alouatta belzebul in the National Forest of Tapirape-Aquiri in Brazil.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Androgens were significantly higher for the adult males from the Area of Influence (AI-I group) when compared to those from the Control Area (CA group) (P < 0.05). Progestin and estrogen concentrations were higher in the females from the CA group than in those from the AI-I for both the adult females and females with offspring; however, P < 0.05 was only observed in the concentrations of fecal progestins from the adult females. The physiological differences between the AI-I and CA groups suggest that the cause was a sum of factors, such as an exposure to sound waves, feeding habits, daily activity patterns, and the habituation of the animals.
authors.affiliation: Instituto da Saúde e Produção Animal (ISPA), Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Belém, PA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Frederico Ozanan Barros
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kugelmeier
authors.forename: Rodrigo del Rio
authors.initials: Rdel R
authors.lastname: do Valle
authors.forename: Alexandre Bastos Fernandes
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Felipe Ennes
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Simone de Souza
authors.initials: Sde S
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Luciana Guedes
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Karen Lopes
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Dinucci
authors.forename: Priscila
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Viau
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000032:analysis*; D000508:Alouatta; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones
keywords: howler monkey; radioimmunoassay; scan sampling method