Reproductive Cycle Observation of the Okinawa Rail (Gallirallus okinawae) in the Wild
| Autor: | Yumiko Nakaya, Takashi Nagamine, Yasuko Neagari, Manabu Onuma |
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| Rok vydání: | 2011 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Ovulation Aging medicine.medical_specialty media_common.quotation_subject medicine.medical_treatment Zoology Semen Ovulatory cycle Birds Sexual Behavior Animal Internal medicine Testis Captive breeding Seasonal breeder medicine Animals Sexual maturity Sexual Maturation media_common General Veterinary biology Reproduction Artificial insemination Gallirallus okinawae biology.organism_classification Endocrinology Female Seasons |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Veterinary Medical Science. 73:1169-1175 |
| ISSN: | 1347-7439 0916-7250 |
| DOI: | 10.1292/jvms.11-0174 |
| Popis: | The captive breeding program of the Okinawa rail started in 2008. For successful captive breeding, information related to reproduction, such as age at sexual maturity, testicular cycles and ovulatory cycles, is essential to predict when reproduction is possible and when certain reproductive behaviors are most likely to occur. We made gross and histological observations of the reproductive organs of Okinawa rails to gain understanding of sexual maturity, the testicular cycle and the ovulatory cycle. We found that the weight of the testis was smallest in December and largest in March. Changes in the diameter of the seminiferous tubule showed the same pattern. Mature sperm were observed from March to June. The heaviest ovary was observed in April. A single peak of reproduction, from March to April, was observed in males and females. Our observations suggested that the Okinawa rail is a seasonal breeder. Establishing suitable breeding pairs will be critical to ensure success of the Okinawa rail captive breeding program. Our results suggested that pairing must be started before March. If supportive breeding is used, semen should be collected from March to June and artificial insemination conducted in April. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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