JWD Subscribe to eTOC alerts
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 40(4), 2004, pp. 696-703
© Wildlife Disease Association  2004
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Stott, P.
Right arrow Articles by Wight, N.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Stott, P.
Right arrow Articles by Wight, N.

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT ABNORMALITIES IN EUROPEAN HARES (LEPUS EUROPAEUS) IN AUSTRALIA

Philip Stott1,2 and Nicole Wight1

1 Department of Animal Science, University of Adelaide SA 5005, Australia and Pest Animal Control Cooperative Research Centre, GPO Box 284, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
2 Corresponding author (email: philip.stott{at}adelaide.edu.au)

Populations of European hare (Lepus europaeus) are in decline in Europe, and populations in Australia remain at low densities. Populations are sensitive to size of the breeding stock, which is influenced by fertility in the females. From 1996 to 1999, a total of 272 adult female hares from three Australian populations were dissected and their reproductive systems examined for abnormalities. Cystic endometrial hyperplasia was relatively common and often accompanied by hydrosalpinx. Extrauterine fetuses, neoplasms, pseudopregnancies, and resorptions also were found. However, although pseudopregnancies and resorptions were found in young adults (<12 mo) as well as older hares, conditions possibly causing infertility were almost always in older hares with prevalences up to 46.2%. Only hares with access to known sources of estrogens exhibited pathologic conditions, but sympatric European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) did not, which is consistent with known difference in responses between the corpora lutea of the two species to exogenous estrogen. Infertility at such a high prevalence could compound and extend the impact of years of low juvenile survival on recruitment.

  Key words:  European hare, European rabbit, fertility, Lepus europaeus, Oryctolagus cuniculus, phytoestrogen.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2004 by the Wildlife Disease Association.