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 Trogonophis wiegmanni. 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.