Determining Cortisol in Animal Hair as a Marker of Chronic Stress

    December 2025 in “ Biology Bulletin Reviews ”
    J. V. Samsonova, N. Yu. Saushkin, A. K. Piskunov
    Studysummary This research review highlights how hair cortisol concentration can reflect the activation of the stress-response system in farm, domestic, and wild animals, noting it correlates with factors like species, sex, age, and environmental conditions, which may influence stress and adaptation.
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    Research cited in this study 15

    1. Goat Hair as a Bioindicator of Environmental Contaminants and Adrenal Activation During Vertical Transhumance Frontiers in veterinary science · 2023
    2. Hair Cortisol: A Biomarker of Chronic Stress in Animals and Its Association With Reproduction Animal Reproduction Update · 2023
    3. Analysis of Hair Cortisol as an Indicator of Chronic Stress in Pigs in Two Different Farrowing Systems Frontiers in veterinary science · 2021
    4. The Tale of Stress: An Exploratory Analysis of Cortisol Levels in the Tail Hair of Captive Asian Elephants PeerJ · 2021
    5. Temporary Relocation During Rest Periods: Relocation Stress and Other Factors Influence Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Horses Animals · 2020
    6. Hair Cortisol in Sheltered Cows and Its Association with Other Welfare Indicators Animals · 2019
    7. The Use of Hair Cortisol for the Assessment of Stress in Animals General and Comparative Endocrinology · 2018
    8. Quantification of Reproductive Hormones in Hair of Captive Adult Brown Bears and Their Application as Indicators of Sex and Reproductive State Conservation physiology · 2017
    9. Factors Influencing Alopecia and Hair Cortisol in Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta) Journal of Medical Primatology · 2016
    10. Sources of Variation in Hair Cortisol in Wild and Captive Non-Human Primates Zoology · 2016
    11. Heavily Hunted Wolves Have Higher Stress and Reproductive Steroids Than Wolves With Lower Hunting Pressure Functional Ecology · 2014
    12. Short Communication: Factors Affecting Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Lactating Dairy Cows Journal of Dairy Science · 2014
    13. Quantifying Long-Term Stress in Brown Bears with Hair Cortisol Concentration: A Biomarker That May Be Confounded by Rapid Changes in Response to Capture and Handling Conservation Physiology · 2014
    14. Effects of Shampoo and Water Washing on Hair Cortisol Concentrations Clinica Chimica Acta · 2010
    15. Cortisol Determination in Hair and Feces from Domestic Cats and Dogs General and Comparative Endocrinology · 2007