Reproductive characteristics of captive male jaguars (Panthera onca)

Authors

  • Ronaldo Gonçalves Morato Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Departamento de Reprodução Animal, São Paulo, SP
  • Marcelo Alcindo Barros de Vaz Guimarães Associação Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP
  • Fernando Ferreira Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, São Paulo, SP
  • Ieda Terezinha do Nascimento Verreschi Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Unidade Endócrina, São Paulo, SP
  • Renato Campanarut Barnabe Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, São Paulo, SP

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-95961999000500008

Keywords:

Jaguars, Semen characters, Testosterone, Season

Abstract

Ejaculate traits, testicular volume and plasma testosterone levels were determined once every two months for one year in 4 adult male jaguars (Panthera onca) housed at the São Paulo Zoo, SP, Brazil. Semen samples was collected by electroejaculation and analyzed for pH, total volume, motility (0-100%), status (0-5), total spermatozoa count and morphology. Blood samples was obtained by cephalic venipuncture immediately before the onset of electroejaculation and stored at -20ºC until assay of testosterone by RIA. Using a calliper, the length and width of each testis was measured and the values were combined to determine the testicular volume. Semen analyses demonstrated a high percentage of structurally abnormal sperm (mean = 51%) and low rates of motility (50.6%) and status (2.2). No correlation was found between semen traits, plasma testosterone and testicular volume (Spearmans test). No season variation was detected throughout the year for semen traits, plasma testosterone and testicular volume (p>;0.05, Friedmans test). The results of this study suggest that the captive jaguars in Brazil are not seasonal, and that semen collections can be performed throughout the year without a perturbation in overall ejaculate quality. However, underlying causes of high percentages of structurally abnormal sperm, found in captive jaguars, need to be investigated mainly to improve semen quality.

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Published

1999-01-01

Issue

Section

VETERINARY MEDICINE

How to Cite

Reproductive characteristics of captive male jaguars (Panthera onca). (1999). Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research and Animal Science, 36(5), 262-266. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-95961999000500008