TLDR Hormonal changes during the reproductive cycle may cause seasonal skin problems in captive female fossas.
Six female intact fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) at the San Diego Zoo exhibited episodic, seasonal alopecia and variable pruritus from 1984 to 2015. These dermatologic issues often coincided with reproductive findings such as a prominent palpable uterus or cervix and a thickened, enlarged uterus on ultrasound, particularly from midspring to midsummer. Dermatologic tests did not identify a primary cause for the alopecia. The study proposed that hormonal changes related to reproductive activity might explain the observed skin conditions in these fossas.
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