ANALYSIS OF REPRODUCTIVE DATA AND MEASUREMENT OF FECAL PROGESTERONE METABOLITES TO MONITOR THE OVARIAN-FUNCTION IN THE PUDU, PUDU-PUDA (ARTIODACTYLA, CERVIDAE)

Studbook data and fecal progesterone metabolites have been used in ord er to obtain basic information on the reproductive cycle of the endang ered Southern pudu (Pudu puda), one of the smallest-bodied deer in the world. According to 373 births and 259 inter-birth intervals, captive pudu females mainly gave birth during October-February in the Souther n hemisphere. This calving season is shifted by six months in the Nort hern hemisphere. Ten percent of the births can be considered as concep tions following postpartum estrus. Fecal progesterone metabolites of s even females from the Wuppertal Zoo, Germany, were analyzed by enzyme- immunoassays using group-specific antibodies. According to 20 oxo-preg nanes concentrations in feces, the three older females cycled regularl y in September and October and each presented one cycle of more than 1 6 days (16, 18 and 33 days), followed by several regular cycles of abo ut 11 days (10.8 +/- 0.5, n = 7). In the four younger females, the ova rian activity was more erratic and decreased in October. In these fema les, short cycles of about 5-6 days (5.5 +/- 0.3, n = 7) and cycles of about 11 days (n = 2) were observed. The two females sampled during t he first half of gestation showed elevated fecal progesterone metaboli te concentrations during this period. These data suggest that the Sout hern pudu is a seasonal polyestrous breeder with a reproductive cycle cued to a seasonal factor and a cycle length of about 11 days. However , the occurence of postpartum estrus, the wide variation of the estrou s cycle length and the lapse back into anoestrus in the younger female s suggest that pudu responds to this seasonal cue with less rigidity t han northern temperate deer and that other internal, environmental and social factors may also affect the breeding season and the ovarian ac tivity of this species.