BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
4 January 2022 TESTIS ABNORMALITIES IN A POPULATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIAN KOALAS (PHASCOLARCTOS CINEREUS)
Chloe Buchanan, Lucy Woolford, Tamsyn Stephenson, Mara Hoebergen, Jessica H. Kovac, William G. Breed, Natasha Speight
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Testis asymmetry, in which the testes in an individual differ in size, has recently been reported in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in the Mount Lofty Ranges population of South Australia. We describe the morphology and histology of both testes from affected individuals in this population (n=56) and the parameters of koalas with normal-sized testes based on age and breeding season (n=56). Morphologic measurements included testis weight, length, width, and volume; histologic parameters included seminiferous tubule diameter, seminiferous epithelial height, and seminiferous tubule (interstitial tissue ratio and presence or absence of spermatozoa). Of the 56 koalas with intraindividual variation in testes size, 47 were classified as asymmetric and nine as microtestes. For koalas with asymmetric testes, all morphologic parameters were significantly decreased in the smaller testes compared with normal-sized testes, but for the histologic parameters, only seminiferous tubule diameter was significantly less. Histopathologic examination of the asymmetric testes showed 38 with normal parenchyma histologically indistinguishable between intraindividual testes, four with degeneration and atrophy, and three with hypoplasia, whereas examination of microtestes showed degeneration and atrophy in seven, hypoplasia in one, and aplasia in one. No association of testis size difference with Chlamydia pecorum infection was found in a subset of animals. For the 56 koalas with normal-sized testes, morphologic parameters were found to increase with age, and juvenile and young adults were found to have smaller seminiferous tubule diameters than adults. No differences were found between testes of koalas in the breeding and nonbreeding season. Overall, these findings indicate that testis asymmetry in koalas from the Mount Lofty Ranges population is common but not associated with decreased function, except where testis malformations such as hypoplasia or aplasia occur or when parenchyma has been disrupted by acquired disease.

© Wildlife Disease Association 2022
Chloe Buchanan, Lucy Woolford, Tamsyn Stephenson, Mara Hoebergen, Jessica H. Kovac, William G. Breed, and Natasha Speight "TESTIS ABNORMALITIES IN A POPULATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIAN KOALAS (PHASCOLARCTOS CINEREUS)," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 58(1), 158-167, (4 January 2022). https://doi.org/10.7589/JWD-D-21-00055
Received: 9 April 2021; Accepted: 20 August 2021; Published: 4 January 2022
KEYWORDS
Breeding season
Chlamydia
reproduction
spermatozoa
testis abnormalities
Testis asymmetry
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top