Abstract
Epididymal sperm morphology was evaluated by strict criteria using the DeSMA software. A total of 134 animals from the Dvůr Králové ZOO were included in the study. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of morphological defects of epididymal sperm in animals of the familyBovidaein species that are not native to the Czech Republic and are bred here only in zoos. Our results showed that the frequency of abnormalities was higher in exotic species of theBovidaefamily compared to domestic species. Furthermore, the acquired defects prevailed over developmental abnormalities. Cytoplasmic droplets are a characteristic feature of epididymal sperm. Their average prevalence in the wholeBovidaefamily is almost 30%. However, distal droplets are not considered to be sperm pathology and, therefore, they are not the most frequent defect. The most common abnormalities are acquired head defects, followed by acquired tail defects, and then by acquired neck defects, mainly represented by proximal cytoplasmic droplets. The lowest prevalence was found for developmental abnormalities, with heads being more often affected than tails. The remaining defects were sporadic.
Highlights
Even though the need for establishing genetic reserves for endangered animal species is increasing today, very few authors deal with the characterization of sperm of these species (Cassinello et al 1998; Sontakke et al 2009)
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of morphological defects of epididymal sperm in animals of the family Bovidae in species that are not native to the Czech Republic and are bred here only in zoos
Our results showed that the frequency of abnormalities was higher in exotic species of the Bovidae family compared to domestic species
Summary
Even though the need for establishing genetic reserves for endangered animal species is increasing today, very few authors deal with the characterization of sperm of these species (Cassinello et al 1998; Sontakke et al 2009). The technique of post mortem sperm retrieval allowing collection of sperm from different parts of the epididymis is often used, especially for research purposes This method can be effectively used in animals after sudden death or after emergency slaughter, and the extracted sperm can be used for preservation of genetic material or used in further studies. The ejaculate is not suitable for processing into insemination doses Such thresholds have not yet been established for wild species of Bovidae, some authors have already dealt with antelope semen characteristics (Cassinello et al 1998; Sontakke et al 2009).
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