Testosterone elephant

The Asian elephant has farnesol, 4-ethylphenol and 4-methylphenol in its temporal gland secretion while the African elephant has only 4-methylphenol. Farnesol levels are inversely related to testosterone levels (Rasmussen and Perrin, 1999). Preovulatory female urine contains (Z)-7-dodecen-l-yl acetate (Rasmussen etal, 1996). 

Rasmussen, L. E., Buss, C. O., Hess, D. L., and Schmidt, M. J. (1984). Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations in elephant serum and temporal gland secretions. Biology ofReproduction 30,352-362. 

For this study 500 ml urine samples were collected both during musth and nonmusth periods from two mature male Asian elephants and frozen for subsequent tests. Concurrent serum samples retroactively established circulatory testosterone concentrations of the donor male pertinent to the collected urine aliquots (Table 1) by Dr. David Hess of the Oregon Regional Primate Center using a previously described methodology (Rasmussen et al., 1984). 

Jainudeen, M. R., Katongole, C. B., and Short, R. V., 1972a, Plasma testosterone levels in relation to musth and sexual activity in the male Asiatic elephant, Elephas maximus, J. Reprod. Feriil. 29 99-103. 

We studied two, adult, male, Asian elephants (Tunga, age 22 and Packy, age 32) that were housed at the Metro Washington Park Zoo (MWPZ) in Portland, Oregon. Blood samples were drawn regularly from a rear leg while the male was in a restraint chute (approximately every 10 days for Tunga from June 3-October 7, 1986 and weekly for Packy from January 8-August 13, 1994). Discrete subsamples of blood serum were utilized for radioimmunoassay of testosterone and assessments of selected serum metabolites and enzymes. 

Figure 1. Deviant behavior (O) and serum testosterone concentration ( ) of a captive Asian bull elephant (Packy, 32 years old) throughout a musth episode (premusth through postmusth). Deviant behavior was the weekly mean of five individual behaviors each graded on a 0-4 scale daily. Serum testosterone (ng/ml) was measured weekly. Solid arrows indicate start and end of temporal gland secretion (TGS), which was delineated as the musth period. The dashed arrow indicates the beginning of urine dribbling (cessation was simultaneous with end of TGS).

Table I. Serum testosterone concentrations (ng/ml) for Packy, a 32-year old male Asian elephant...

Figure 4. Testosterone concentration (ng/ml) in temporal gland secretion and relative abundance of four groups (I-IV) of compounds present in TGS over the course of musth in Tunga, an Asian bull elephant (a different elephant from the previous figures). Group I cyclohexanone, benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, phenylpropanoic acid, octanoic acid, 3-octen-2-one and4-n-nonylphenol. Group II 5-nonanol, 2-hydroxyacetophenone, 1,3 dihydro-2H-indol-2-one, 2-nonanone, unidentified and 3-nonen-2-one. Group III phenol, decanoic acid and famesol. Group IV 4-hexenoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid and dotriacontanol.

We thank the Metro-Washington Park Zoo, especially the elephant staff, Mr. Roger Henneous, Mr. Jay Haight, Mr. Charles Rutkowski, Mr. Fred Marion and Ms, Sioux Marion for their assistance in this study, including the collection of the behavioral scores. Tom Perrin collected the samples and with Dr. L.E.L. Rasmussen conducted the GC/MS analyses. We thank Dr. Michael Schmidt and Anne Schmidt for allowing us to use the RIA testosterone data. Dr. David Hess performed the RIA s. This work was supported by Biospherics Research Corporation and the Guggenheim Foundation. 

Hall-Martin, A.J. Van der Walt, L.A. 1984. Plasma testosterone levels in relation to musth in the male African elephant. Koedoe, 27, 147—149. 

Lincoln, G.A. Ratnasooriya, W.D. 1996. Testosterone secretion, musth behaviour and social dominance in captive male Asian elephants living near the equator. J. Reprod. Fert., 108, 107—113. 

Niemuller, C. Liptrap, R.M. 1991. Altered androstenedione to testosterone ratios and LH concentrations during musth in the captive male Asian elephant Elephas maximus). J. Reprod. Fertil, 91, 139—146. 

Poole, J.H., Kasman, L.H., Ramsay, E.C. Lasley, B.L. 1984. Musth and urinary testosterone concentrations in the African elephant, Loxodonta africana). J. Reprod. Fertil, 70, 255—260. 

Most spectacularly in Asian bull elephants. Their testosterone levels can increase by a factor of 60-fold in the periodic condition called musth. This is hormonally induced, but no one understands why. During this time the male elephants become very aggressive, and can go on a mating frenzy with any female elephants in... 

Elephant charging a giraffe - http //commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/File Two bulls matching testosterone levels..jpg... 

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