Validation of an enzyme immunoassay for the detection of corticosterone metabolites from northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) feces

Measuring hormones in feces is an effective way to estimate stress levels in vertebrates. However, due to differences between species and sex, any method that uses fecal samples to estimate hormone levels must be validated. Here we validated an enzyme immunoassay to measure stress hormones in northern bobwhite feces. Abstract Interest in the effects of stressors on wildlife has grown substantially over the past few decades. As this interest has grown, so has the need for minimally invasive and reliable methods for estimating differences in the levels of stress hormones. An enzyme immunoassay using standardized methods was validated for detecting concentrations of corticosterone (cort) metabolites from northern bobwhite fecal samples. Two physiological challenges and one biological challenge were applied to 18 northern bobwhites (nine males and nine females), and the fecal cort metabolite concentrations were compared to baseline levels. The interactions of sex and treatment, treatment and time and sex and time were all significant. Thus, the methods and tools used here were sensitive enough to detect expected changes to the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal axis of northern bobwhite.