Non-Invasive Monitoring of Adrenocortical Activity in a Fossorial Amphisbaenian

We validated a technique to quantify GC levels of the North West African checkboard amphisbaenian <em>Trogonophis wiegmanni</em>. The main purpose was to optimize and validate the suitability of an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for non-invasively monitoring adrenocortical activity, through measuring fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM). We first made a controlled experimental stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis via a corticosterone supplementation and examined whether challenged individuals increased FCM levels more than control ones. Then, we used the validated assay for a preliminary exploration of seasonal, sex and size related differences in FCM levels in the field in an island population of this amphisbaenian.