Tag : Poop

North Carolina (US): North Carolina State University researchers discovered major differences in the gut microbiota of female southern white rhinos that are breeding well in captivity vs females that are not reproducing successfully in captivity. The findings raise concerns regarding the potential function of a specific genus of gut microorganisms in reducing captive breeding of this rhinoceros species. "Our work focuses on the southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum), because while it is not yet endangered, species numbers are declining in the wild due to poaching," says Christina Burnham, first author of a paper on the work and a former graduate student at NC State. "There is a significant population of southern white rhinos under human care in the United States, but there have been challenges in getting many of these animals to reproduce successfully. It is critical we understand why, as the managed rhinos serve as important assurance populations in case wild rhino numbers continue to fall. We wanted to know how the gut microbiome may influence the reproductive ability of these rhinos." To that end, the researchers collected multiple fecal samples from eight female southern white rhinoceroses over a six-month period. The study population consisted of two juveniles; two "subadults" who are no longer nursing but are not yet of reproductive age; two adults who have reproduced successfully; and two adults who have not reproduced successfully. "We wanted to have a robust sample size that would allow us to assess the gut microbiome of females in this species while accounting for age, the time of year and reproductive status," Burnham says. The researchers extracted and sequenced DNA from the fecal samples, which allowed them ...