Medycyna Wet. 62 (9), 1076-1079, 2006
| Janicki B., Solińska J., Łakota P. |
| Evaluation of the quality and biological value of semen of polar foxes in the breeding season |
| In connection with scarce publications on the qualities of polar fox semen and the mutual relationship between particular features of the semen, the undertaken research aimed at specifying selected polar fox semen indicators and determining possible mutual correlations between them. The semen for analysis was collected 7 times from 18 foxes during the period of their sexual activity. In total, 126 ejaculates were obtained and they underwent detailed assessment. The total ejaculate bulk was determined as well as mass spermatozoa movement, the proportional share of hyperactive spermatozoa (preceded by sperm rotation in the percoll's gradient), ejaculate pH, fructose concentration, the proportional share of spermatozoa not connected with antisperm antibodies and the proportional share of spermatozoa characterized by structural differences. Additionally, the interdependence between the semen quantity and quality and the breeding effectiveness of the analyzed foxes was examined and assessed. The results of the research indicate the high biological quality of the semen investigated during the whole breeding period, which led to high breeding results. The interdependence between the over all effectiveness of the analyzed specimens and the spermatozoa movement, and the proportional share of hyperactive i.e. ready to fertilize spermatozoa was observed. This indicates that separating spermatozoa in the percoll's gradient as a method of spermatozoa preparation allows for in vitro selection of specimens of the best qualities and is useful in case of applying insemination. |
| Keywords: polar fox, semen quality, reproduction |