Effect of Pregnancy and Age on Alopecia in Adult Female Baboons (Papio hamadryas spp)

Abstract

Alopecia occurs frequently in captive populations of nonhuman primates. Because multiple factors can play a role in alopecia, a better understanding of its etiology will help identify potential welfare concerns. The purpose of this study was to investigate risk factors for alopecia in a breeding colony of baboons with a focus on pregnancy and age. Alopecia was scored on a scale of 0 (no alopecia) to 5 (severe alopecia) in 253 female baboons during routine physicals. The subjects ranged in age from 4 to 23 y (Mean = 9.6) and were categorized as pregnant (n = 83), nursing (n = 60) or control (n = 110). Resulting alopecia scores were combined into 2 categories (mild = 0 or 1; moderate = 2 or 3); no animals scored a 4 or 5. Significantly more pregnant females had moderate alopecia than did control females. There was no effect of age on alopecia. An unexpected outcome was that among nursing females, more of those with female infants had moderate alopecia than did those with male infants. The impact of the infant's sex on alopecia may be due to sex differences in maternal contact or maternal investment. This information adds to our understanding of alopecia risk factors in captive nonhuman primates.