Repeated Evaluations of Testes and Semen Characteristics in Two Binturongs (Arctictis binturong)

Abstract

The binturong is a medium size carnivore belonging to the Viverrid family that lives in dense forests of South-East Asia. In addition to the protection of this vulnerable species in its natural habitat (in situ), conservation breeding efforts (ex situ) aim at maintaining a good genetic diversity while increasing the number of individuals to reinforce wild populations. Both approaches require a solid understanding of binturong's basic biology. However, there is still a lack of precise information about reproduction. The objective of this brief research report was to analyze testicular sizes and semen characteristics at different times of the year to better understand the reproductive physiology and inform future conservation efforts. A secondary objective was to describe sperm cryotolerance for the first time in that species. Examinations of testes and semen collections were conducted on two adult males. While testicular measurements were relatively constant across multiple examinations, semen characteristics (volume, viability, sperm concentrations, sperm motility) varied between samples. However, incidence of sperm morphological abnormalities was consistently high. Sperm cryotolerance appeared to be poor but further studies are warranted. The present dataset will be useful for future research on binturong reproduction and for the development of assisted reproductive techniques and biobanking of germplasms in that species.

Understanding Reproductive Aging in Wildlife to Improve Animal Conservation and Human Reproductive Health

“…This is one of the few examples of rapid reproductive aging in males. In contrast, recent studies in binturong ( Arctictis binturong ) show that males of advanced ages still produce good quality semen ( Zainuddin et al, 2021 ).…”

Recent Progress in Spermatology Contributing to the Knowledge and Conservation of Rare and Endangered Species

“…A striking attribute of spermatozoa across a wide range of carnivore families is the significant and consistent presence of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa. A condition called teratospermia occurs when >60% of the sperm cells are abnormal (defects in the head, the midpiece, or the tail) (18,64,65).…”

“…However, for a vast majority of species, the study of sperm biology requires direct interventions on the animals to collect semen samples (under sedation or restraint). This is true for species as different as amphibians and carnivores (17,18). Testicular or epididymal sperm can also be collected and studied opportunistically in mammals and nonmammals by rescuing testicular and epididymal tissues postmortem (19,20).…”