Fecal near infrared spectroscopy to discriminate physiological status in giant pandas.

Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) monitoring and research often require accurate estimates of population size and density. However, obtaining these estimates has been challenging. Innovative technologies, such as fecal near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (FNIRS), may be used to differentiate between sex, age class, and reproductive status as has been shown for several other species. The objective of this study was to determine if FNIRS could be similarly used for giant panda physiological discriminations. Based on samples from captive animals in four U.S. zoos, FNIRS calibrations correctly identified 78% of samples from adult males, 81% from adult females, 85% from adults, 89% from juveniles, 75% from pregnant and 70% from non-pregnant females. However, diet had an impact on the success of the calibrations. When diet was controlled for plant part such that leaf only feces were evaluated, FNIRS calibrations correctly identified 93% of samples from adult males and 95% from adult females. These data show that FNIRS has the potential to differentiate between the sex, age class, and reproductive status in the giant panda and may be applicable for surveying wild populations

Application of near infrared spectroscopy of feces to discriminate between pregnant and not pregnant female captive giant pandas (<i>Ailuropoda melanoleuca</i>) housed in US zoos.

a<p>Results are reported as: % correct identifications (number correct/group total). Preg=pregnant, not=not pregnant, A, B=random group.</p>b<p>Refers to the prediction of group membership for each sample in the calibration set itself.</p>c<p>Refers to the prediction of group membership for each sample in the validation set. NA=not applicable, i.e. there were no validation samples removed from the calibration, or in the case of pregnant validation samples, none were available.</p>†<p>Percentage of correct versus incorrect identifications differ (P<0.1).</p

Fecal near infrared difference (male – female) spectra (log 1/reflectance, derivative=0, gap=0) from four different herbivore species.

<p>Fecal near infrared difference (male – female) spectra (log 1/reflectance, derivative=0, gap=0) from four different herbivore species.</p

Bamboo species offered and mean daily consumption for captive giant pandas (<i>Ailuropoda melanoleuca</i>) housed in US zoos.

a<p>Bamboo species fed: 1) <i>Arundinaria gigantea</i>, 2) <i>Bambusa oldhami</i>, 3) <i>B. ventricosa</i>, 4) <i>B. vulgaris vittata</i>, 5) <i>Phyllostachys aurea</i>, 6) <i>P. aureosulcata</i>, 7) <i>P. bambusoides</i>, 8) <i>P. bissetii</i>, 9) <i>P. glauca</i>, 10) <i>P. nigra</i> ‘black’, 11) <i>P. nigra</i> ‘Henon’, 12) <i>P. nuda</i>, 13) <i>P. rubromarginata</i>, 14) <i>Pseudosasa japonica</i>.</p>b<p>Adult female pregnant during some period of the study, and which subsequently gave birth.</p

The effect of using fecal samples derived from “leaf only” bamboo diets on the ability of near infrared spectroscopy to discriminate between adult male and female captive giant pandas (<i>Ailuropoda melanoleuca</i>).

a<p>Results are reported as: % correct identifications (number correct/group total). Within each discriminant model group, calibrations were developed using either the entire calibration set (100%), or with a reduced set (75%) after removing a randomly selected 25% of samples to be used as a validation set. A, B=random group.</p>b<p>Refers to the prediction of group membership for each sample in the calibration set itself.</p>c<p>Refers to the prediction of group membership for each sample in the validation set. NA=not applicable, i.e. there were no validation samples removed from the 100% calibration.</p>**<p>Within a group, percentage of correct identifications differ from 50% (P<0.01).</p

Effect of zoo on the ability of near infrared spectroscopy of feces to discriminate between adult male and female captive giant pandas (<i>Ailuropoda melanoleuca</i>).

a<p>The discriminant model is labeled after the <i>validating</i> zoo, i.e. if the Atlanta Zoo samples are the validating set, then the calibration set is made up of samples from the remaining zoos.</p>b, c<p>There are a total of 239 samples. The proportion of calibration to validation samples varies with each validation, i.e. Atlanta (83∶17%), National (90∶10%), San Diego (93∶7%) and Memphis (33∶67%).</p>**<p>Within a group, percentage of correct identifications differ from 50% (P<0.01).</p

Average fecal near infrared spectra (log 1/reflectance, derivative=0, gap=0) from adult pandas at two different US zoos.

<p>Average fecal near infrared spectra (log 1/reflectance, derivative=0, gap=0) from adult pandas at two different US zoos.</p

Fecal near infrared difference spectra (log 1/reflectance, derivative=0, gap=0) from adult M-F pandas versus all pandas from two zoos.

<p>Fecal near infrared difference spectra (log 1/reflectance, derivative=0, gap=0) from adult M-F pandas versus all pandas from two zoos.</p

Average fecal near infrared spectra (log 1/reflectance, derivative=0, gap=0) from male and female animals of four different herbivore species.

<p>Average fecal near infrared spectra (log 1/reflectance, derivative=0, gap=0) from male and female animals of four different herbivore species.</p