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12 January 2021 OCULAR ANATOMY AND PATHOLOGY IN LUMHOLTZ'S TREE-KANGAROO (DENDROLAGUS LUMHOLTZI)
Amy L. Shima, Linda K. Johnson, Lee F. Skerratt, Caroline Zeiss
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Abstract

Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) is one of two species of tree-kangaroos found in Queensland, Australia. There is little information about ocular anatomy and pathology in any species of tree-kangaroo, and there are claims of blindness from unknown causes in free-ranging Lumholtz's tree-kangaroos. This study investigated ocular anatomy and pathology in 80 individuals, using examination of 31 live animals and histopathologic examination of eyes from 49 carcasses. Tree-kangaroos were found to have a typical vertebrate eye with immuno-histochemical evidence for dichromatic color vision. Only 5.4% of animals had evidence of pathology from traumatic injury, infection, or a variety of nonspecific lesions. Toxoplasmosis was implicated in ocular lesions in three animals. This study did not find evidence of widespread blindness in free-ranging animals nor evidence of toxic optic neuropathy. Examinations of live animals highlighted the need to establish normal ocular examination parameters and vision testing protocols suitable for use in tree-kangaroos and the need for more comprehensive examination and testing of animals thought to have vision loss of unknown origin.

Copyright 2020 by American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
Amy L. Shima, Linda K. Johnson, Lee F. Skerratt, and Caroline Zeiss "OCULAR ANATOMY AND PATHOLOGY IN LUMHOLTZ'S TREE-KANGAROO (DENDROLAGUS LUMHOLTZI)," Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 51(4), 868-878, (12 January 2021). https://doi.org/10.1638/2019-0203
Accepted: 23 July 2020; Published: 12 January 2021
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