title: Establishment of assisted reproduction technologies in female and male African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus).
abstract: Transrectal ultrasonography, electroejaculation and cryopreservation of spermatozoa were applied to the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) to establish non-invasive protocols for assessing the reproductive health of one of the most endangered African canids. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed on immobilized male (n = 2) and female (n = 5) captive wild dogs. The testes and epididymides of the male dogs were imaged transcutaneously, followed by electrostimulation and cryopreservation of spermatozoa. The sonomorphology of the female and male urogenital tracts was characterized. In females, the vagina, cervix, non-pregnant uterus and ovary were imaged and the reproductive health of each female was evaluated. The sonographic assessment helped to identify one pyometra and extensive abdominal fat deposits in two other individuals in which pyometra had been suspected. Images of the adrenal glands showed differences in size among individuals of the same breeding group. Whether these differences were related to the dominance hierarchy remains to be determined. In males, visualization of the prostate gland, testis and epididymis indicated sexual maturity. Three ejaculatory fractions (1.0, 1.5 and 0.5 ml, with 50, 95 and 95% motility, respectively; 1.125 x 10(8) spermatozoa per ejaculate) were collected from one male. The motility of each of these fractions after thawing was 0, 30 and 40%, respectively. Electrostimulation of the second male, in which a cystic structure in a testis had been identified by sonography, resulted in an aspermic ejaculate (0.5 and 1.0 ml). These technologies provided basic data on reproduction in female and male African wild dogs and were an efficient way to evaluate reproductive health.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Zoo Biology and Wildlife Research, PF 601103, D-10252 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hermes
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Göritz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maltzan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blottner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Proudfoot
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fritsch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fassbender
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quest
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D002335:Carnivora; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004714:Endometrial Hyperplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D012099:Reproductive Techniques / Q000662:veterinary*; D012662:Semen Preservation; D014463:Ultrasonography