Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cyril Etienne, Alexandra Houssaye, John R. Hutchinson
Summary: Land mammals, like rhinoceroses, support and move their bodies using their musculoskeletal system, which adapts to their large body mass through muscle organization. Rhinos show adaptations such as longer lever arms for muscle insertions due to their heavy weight. Neonates have higher maximal isometric force in muscles compared to adults, except for certain muscles like extensor and propulsor muscles, indicating a development of force-generating capacity with growth.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Jordan Wood, Larry Jb Minter, Troy Neil Tollefson, Heidi Bissell, Doug Bibus, Kimberly Ange-van Heugten
Summary: This study compared the fatty acid percentage profiles of managed southern white rhinoceroses in two zoos during different pasture growth periods, revealing differences in fatty acid levels due to variations in diet and climate between the two locations.
Article
Immunology
Josephine Chileshe, Tanya J. Kerr, Craig Kinnear, Peter E. Buss, Paul D. van Helden, Robin M. Warren, Michele A. Miller, Sven D. C. Parsons
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate a novel unbiased approach to discovering candidate biomarkers for M. bovis infection in rhinoceros and to conduct preliminary validation. Analysis of gene expression in immune sensitized rhinoceros samples identified several genes upregulated in response to antigen stimulation, leading to the design of new gene expression assays for selected candidates. The findings confirm the value of the equine RT2 profiler PCR array as a useful tool for screening biomarkers for the diagnosis of M. bovis infection in rhinoceros.
VETERINARY IMMUNOLOGY AND IMMUNOPATHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fatima Sanchez-Barreiro, Shyam Gopalakrishnan, Jazmin Ramos-Madrigal, Michael Westbury, Marc de Manuel, Ashot Margaryan, Marta M. Ciucani, Filipe G. Vieira, Yannis Patramanis, Daniela C. Kalthoff, Zena Timmons, Thomas Sicheritz-Ponten, Love Dalen, Oliver A. Ryder, Guojie Zhang, Tomas Marques-Bonet, Yoshan Moodley, M. Thomas P. Gilbert
Summary: Large vertebrates, such as the white rhinoceros, have experienced significant decline in populations due to human activities. Genetic data from resequenced white rhinoceros genomes show a decrease in genomic diversity and increase in inbreeding coefficients, especially in the northern white rhinoceros (NWR) and the southern white rhinoceros (SWR). Despite the genetic impacts, the surviving SWR does not show a significant accumulation of genetic load compared to its historical counterpart. These findings have implications for informing conservation efforts for white rhinoceros populations.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Laura M. Cersosimo, Kathleen E. Sullivan, Eduardo V. Valdes
Summary: The study characterized and compared diets, faecal bacterial communities, nutrients, and metabolites between Southern white rhinoceroses and Southern black rhinoceroses. There were differences in faecal bacterial communities between black and white rhinoceroses, with higher levels of butyrate and propionate in black rhinos and higher levels of lactate in white rhinos. White rhinos showed higher bacterial diversity, total operational taxonomic units, and relative abundance of Firmicutes compared to black rhinos.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND ANIMAL NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Sabrina Nicolleta Linn, Sabine Schmidt, Marina Scheumann
Summary: Individual distinctiveness in vocalizations plays a crucial role in individual recognition and social behavior. Different call types within a species can vary in individual distinctiveness due to factors such as social function, caller-receiver distance, and acoustic structure. Southern white rhinoceros calls showed varying levels of individual distinctiveness across three call types, with Grunts exhibiting the highest level.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Emma L. Houck, Mark G. Papich, Katie W. Delk
Summary: This study investigated the pharmacokinetic data of phenylbutazone in Southern white rhinoceros and found that the concentrations achieved were similar to those in horses, with effects lasting for at least 10 hours.
JOURNAL OF VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY AND THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Leticia Martinez, Gema Silvan, Sara Caceres, Jose Manuel Caperos, Jesus Fernandez-Moran, Miguel Casares, Belen Crespo, Paloma Jimena de Andres, Juan Carlos Illera
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of different social environments and management systems on cortisol secretion in white rhinoceroses. The results showed that management systems, social interactions, and sex influenced the secretion of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites. This research provides insight into the glucocorticoid production in white rhinoceroses and its impact on reproductive biology.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Franz Schwarzenberger, Robert Hermes
Summary: This study evaluated endocrine profiles and gestation length data of captive pregnant black rhinoceros, white rhinoceros, and greater one-horned rhinoceros. The results showed that there was a significant increase in the concentration of faecal progesterone metabolites after the third month of gestation. The gestation lengths for black, white, and greater one-horned rhinoceroses were 460.6, 503.8, and 480.5 days, respectively.
GENERAL AND COMPARATIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Rachelle Gent, Inge D. Barbier, Stephen L. Atkin, Annie E. Newell-Fugate, Amanda C. Swart
Summary: The study utilized ultra-performance convergence chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to analyze hormones in faecal and serum samples from southern white rhinoceros. It identified novel steroids and established effective analytical methods for assessing reproductive health and stress responses, contributing to the conservation of wildlife species.
JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY B-ANALYTICAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE BIOMEDICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Mathew P. Gerard, Anthony T. Blikslager, H. Johan Marais
Summary: This article presents a case of tracheal injury in a rhinoceros due to gunshot trauma. The rhinoceros was successfully managed with immobilization and conservative medical treatment, resulting in symptom relief and successful calving.
JAVMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Christof Steyrer, Friederike Pohlin, Leith C. R. Meyer, Peter Buss, Emma H. Hooijberg
Summary: The study compared the differences in hematocrit measurements between the EPOC portable analyzer system and the Abaxis VetScan HM5 with the manual packed cell volume (PCV) method in white rhinoceroses. The results showed that the EPOC analyzer met the performance goal of allowable error, making it suitable for approximate measurements. However, the Abaxis analyzer exceeded the allowable error and overestimated hematocrit in rhinoceroses, requiring the use of method-specific reference intervals.
VETERINARY CLINICAL PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Mickael P. Robert, Ann Carstens, Frederik C. de Beer, Jakobus W. Hoffman, Gerhard Steenkamp
Summary: The study utilized micro-focus X-ray computed tomography imaging to describe the osseous anatomy of the middle and inner ear of the southern white rhinoceros. High spatial resolution 3D images were obtained for all samples, allowing for the generation of virtual models of the auditory ossicles and bony labyrinth. However, identification of the soft tissue structures of the middle ear was challenging at times, and alternative techniques should be explored for visualization of the small structures of the membranous labyrinth.
ANATOMIA HISTOLOGIA EMBRYOLOGIA
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
E. Ruggeri, C. Young, N. Ravida, M. A. Sirard, R. Krisher, M. de la Rey, C. Herbst, B. Durrant
Summary: This study characterized gene expression in granulosa cells from southern white rhinos before and after in vitro maturation, and evaluated the glucose consumption of cumulus-oocyte complexes. The findings suggest that gene expression changes during maturation and gonadotropin stimulation, and higher glucose availability may be needed during in vitro maturation.
REPRODUCTION FERTILITY AND DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Pierfrancesco Biasetti, Thomas B. Hildebrandt, Frank Goeritz, Robert Hermes, Susanne Holtze, Cesare Galli, Giovanna Lazzari, Silvia Colleoni, Ilaria Pollastri, Maria Michela Spiriti, Jan Stejskal, Steven Seet, Jan Zwilling, Stephen Ngulu, Samuel Mutisya, Linus Kariuki, Isaac Lokolool, Patrick Omondo, David Ndeereh, Barbara de Mori
Summary: This study proposes an ethical analysis framework for assessing the ethical issues of applying assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) in conservation breeding programs. It discusses a specific case study of ovum pick-up (OPU) procedures in the conservation efforts for the northern white rhinoceros, providing a template for evaluating ART procedures in projects involving other endangered species.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
