Microsoft PowerPoint Portada taller Jaguares

March 2003 

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NON-INVASIVE SAMPLING 

Fecal Samples 

Collection 

Great care should be exercised in the collection of fecal samples to ensure that 

contamination is minimized.  It is recommended that the biologist:  1) wear laboratory 

gloves at all times during the collection: 2) sterilize instruments between sample 

collection, either by washing with ethanol or flaming and cooling; and, 3) use new, 

clean containers for the storage of each fecal sample. 

 

Storage 

The following storage options are listed to accommodate the range of available 

equipment and facilities at the collection site.  In all cases, Option 1 is the preferred and 

recommended storage protocol.  

 

Option 1.

  Place individual fecal sample in a plastic baggie, paper bag, or FALCON® tube 

with silica bead packets at a ratio of 4:1 (beads:sample by weight) or air-dry away from 

direct sunlight.   

 

Option 2.

  Place individual fecal sample in a container with 95-100% ethanol. 

 

Label fecal samples following directions outlined above in Labeling. 

 

Transport 

Please ensure that fecal sample containers are labeled according to the directions 

outlined above.   

 

Please ensure that all samples are securely sealed.  

 

Ensure shipping and permitting applications are in order before sending any samples. 

 

Hair Samples 

Collection 

Great care should be exercised in the collection of hair samples to ensure that 

contamination is minimized.  It is recommended that the biologist wear laboratory 

gloves at all times during the collection and use new, clean containers for the storage of 

each hair sample.  

 

Hair samples should be plucked using forceps or fingers.  It is important to collect the 

root or hair follicle in this pluck.  It is recommended that each sample consist of 3-10 

hairs minimum per individual.  It is also recommended that several samples/individual 

be collected.  

 

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Storage 

It is recommended that each individual hair sample be placed in a sealed and labeled 

envelope. Baggies and other containers that trap humidity should not be used.   

 

Label hair samples following directions outlined above in Labeling. 

 

Transport 

Please ensure that envelopes are labeled according to the directions outlined above.   

 

Samples may be shipped at room temperature.  Please ensure that all samples are 

securely sealed.   

 

Ensure shipping and permitting applications are in order before sending any samples. 

 

Skeletal Material  

Hard tissue samples can include dried skin, bone, or teeth.   

Storage 

Place individual hard tissue sample in a sealed envelope or other container that will not 

trap moisture and cause mold to develop on the sample.   

 

Label tissue samples following directions outlined above in Labeling. 

 

Transport

 

Please ensure that containers used to store skeletal material are labeled according to the 

directions outlined above. 

 

Samples may be shipped at room temperature.  Please ensure that all samples are 

securely sealed.  

 

Ensure shipping and permitting applications are in order before sending any samples. 

 

 

PERMITS AND LAWS FOR TRANSPORTING SAMPLES INTERNATIONALLY 

All diagnostic and genetic testing approved by the SRC and JCP will by performed at 

selected laboratories in the U.S. known for their expertise in non-domestic felids.  The 

ability of the Conservation Genetics staff and personnel to complete these tests 

successfully is contingent on the exportation of samples from various countries within 

the jaguar’s range and their importation into the US.  Jaguars are listed on CITES 

Appendix I, therefore a CITES import and export permit are required for transporting 

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tissue samples into the US.  The JCP is working to obtain blanket CITES permits for the 

work.   

 

Permits must be issued by both the importing and exporting countries.  In most 

instances, an export permit will not be issued until a valid import permit is presented to 

the office issuing the export.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Management 

Authority is the Governmental agency which currently issues CITES import permits.  In 

general, written proof of permission to work in the host country is required when 

applying for an import permit.  For more information on permit requirements, you can 

visit http://international.fws.gov/permits/permits.html. 

 

 

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III.  LITERATURE CITED 

Ashley, M. V.  1999.  Molecular conservation genetics.  American Scientist 87: 28-35. 

Avise, J. C. (ed.).  1996.  Conservation Genetics: Case Histories from Nature.  Chapman 

and Hall: New York, New York. 

Deem, S. L. and Karesh, W. B.  2000.  The Jaguar Health Program Handbook.  Wildlife 

Conservation Society, Bronx, NY.  42 pp. 

Dowling, T. E., C. Moritz, J. D. Palmer, and L. H. Rieseberg.  1996.  Nucleic acids III: 

Analysis of fragments and restriction sites. In Molecular Systematics, 2

nd

 edition. 

(D. M. Hillis, C. Moritz, and B. K. Mable, eds.).  Sinauer Associates, Inc.: 

Sunderland, Massachusetts.   

Gagneux, P., C. Boesch, and S. Woodruff.  1997.  Microsatellite scoring errors associated 

with noninvasive genotyping based on nuclear DNA amplified from shed hair.  

Molecular Ecology 6: 861-868. 

Gerloff, U., C. Schlötterer, K. Rassmann, I. Rambold, G. Hohmann, B. Fruth, and D. 

Tautz.  1995.  Amplification of hypervariable simple sequence repeats 

(microsatellites) from excremental DNA of wild living bonobos (Pan paniscus).  

Molecular Ecology 4: 515-518. 

Greenwood, A. D. and S. Pääbo.  Nuclear insertion sequences of mitochondrial DNA 

predominate in hair but not in blood of elephants.  Molecular Ecology 8: 133-137. 

Handt, O., M. Höss, M. Krings, and S. Pääbo.  1994.  Ancient DNA: Methodological 

challenges.  Experientia 50: 524-529. 

Moritz, C.  1994.  Applications of mitochondrial DNA analysis in conservation: A 

critical review.  Molecular Ecology 3: 401-411. 

Pääbo, S.  1989.  Ancient DNA: Extraction, characterization, molecular cloning, and 

enzymatic amplification.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86: 1939-1943. 

Pääbo, S.  1990.  Amplifying ancient DNA.  In PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and 

Applications.  Academic Press: San Diego, California. 

Poinar, Jr. G.  1999.  Ancient DNA.  American Scientist 87:  446-457. 

Rabinowitz, A.  1997.  Wildlife Field Research and Conservation Training Manual.  

Wildlife Conservation Society.  New York, NY.  281 pp. 

Smith, T. B. and R. K. Wayne. (eds.).  1996.  Molecular Genetic Approaches in 

Conservation.  Oxford University Press, New York.  483 pp. 

Taberlet, P., L. P. Waits, and G. Luikart.  1999.  Noninvasive genetic sampling: Look 

before you leap.  TREE 14(8): 323-327. 

Valderrama, X., W. B. Karesh, D. E. Wildman, and D. J. Melnick.  1999.  Noninvasive 

methods for collecting fresh hair tissue.  Molecular Ecology 8: 1749-1752. 

Wayne, R. K., J. A. Leonard, and A. Cooper.  1999.  Full of sound and fury: History of 

ancient DNA.  Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 30(1): 457-477. 

 

 

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