title: Monitoring male southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) reproductive function and seasonality in a captive population.
abstract: This study reports on the development and application of techniques used to assess the reproductive status of captive male southern hairy-nosed wombats (n=4) at Rockhampton Zoo. Initially, a GnRH agonist was used to establish a method for determining a reliable index of plasma and faecal testosterone secretion. Intra-muscular injection of buserelin (4 microg) resulted in an increase (P<0.05) in plasma and faecal testosterone concentration 90 min and 3 days after administration, respectively. Seasonal changes in faecal androgen, sperm production (spermatorrhoea) and testicular, prostatic and bulbourethral gland size were examined over a 18-month period, with prostate and bulbourethral gland cross-sectional areas being assessed by ultrasonography. Plasma testosterone secretion increased from early late winter and then decreased in spring (P<0.001); no seasonal variation (P=0.22) in faecal testosterone metabolite concentrations was apparent. Testicular volume showed no significant variation (P=0.29) over the sampling period. While there was no seasonal change (P=0.197, n=54) in prostate size, bulbourethral gland size increased in late-autumn, peaked in mid-winter and declined in early summer (P= or <0.001, n=55). Spermatozoa were found in the urine throughout the year. While, the captive population of SHN wombats at Rockhampton Zoo demonstrated significant changes in reproductive function, the extent of seasonality was less pronounced than that previously reported for wild populations in Southern Australia.
authors.affiliation: School of Animal Studies, The University of Queensland, Gatton, 4343 Qld, Australia. lindsay.hogan@uqconnect.edu.au
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.forename: C J C
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Horsup
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keeley
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nicolson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lisle
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Johnston
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000502:physiology*; D002030:Bulbourethral Glands / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002064:Buserelin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008394:Marsupialia / Q000502:physiology*; D011467:Prostate / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012621:Seasons; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D002064:Buserelin