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Bacterial abscesses are commonly seen in tortoises. The morbidity and the resultant mortality are high. Multifactorial problems, antibiotics misapplication. and antibiotic-resistant bacteria make abscess treatment complicated and ineffective. This study identifies the etiological bacterial species and determines the best antibiotics for abscess treatment in captive tortoises. Sterile swab specimens from 40 tortoises with abscesses were analyzed using the Analytical Profile Index (API) system. Sixty-five bacteria species were identified covering facultative anaerobic gram-negative (

Semen collection can be achieved via hand penile massage or rectal stimulation using electro-ejaculation methods. Traditional electro-ejaculation procedure applied relatively high voltage of 3&ndash, 15 volts with a maximum current of 900 mA. However, these manipulations often result in great stress and discomforts in animals. In this study, we showed low-voltage electro-ejaculation procedure using 2&ndash, 3 volts with a maximum current of 500 mA can efficiently stimulated ejaculations in zoo captive lanyu miniature pigs with a high success rate of 81.3% (13/16). Besides normal semen properties (semen volume, pH, sperm concentration), we demonstrated that low-voltage electro-ejaculation caused less stress in the animals, and sperm cells obtained via low-voltage electro-ejaculation exhibit low abnormality (10.3%), high viability (84.3%), motility (75.7%), progressive motility (63.7%), and acrosome integrity (88%). However, cryopreservation protocol used in the current study requires further optimization, as sperm mitochondrial function was partially compromised during freezing procedures. Taken together, we demonstrated in this study that a low-voltage electro-ejaculation approach can be used to obtain quality sperm cells from zoo captive lanyu miniature pig with less physical stress during electro-ejaculation procedure.

Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) are a critically endangered species. Proper monitoring of the menstrual cycle is important in breeding programs. Hormonal cycle tracking was performed in this study by collecting female urine. Metabolites of estrogen (estrone glucuronide, E1g) progesterone (P4) were measured using enzyme immunoassay. E1g tracking was carried out for 8 animal-months during normal cycling to obtain an average hormonal profile. P4 was tracked throughout normal cycling to obtain a baseline and over 1 successful pregnancy to obtain a reference for pregnancy monitoring and parturition anticipation. This study concludes that this non-invasive hormonal cycle monitoring using urine is an acceptable method. A recommended mating guideline of introducing the male after an estrogen increase of 1.5 times the baseline is proposed based on the results. This minimizes coerced mating and increases chances of pregnancy, which would benefit animal welfare and greatly assist in the conservation of the species.

Confined bears are deprived of natural stimulus, such as large roaming domains, active foraging and enriched habitats, making them vulnerable to develop stereotypic behaviors. Motivation drives and neuro-pathological imbalance are the causes. Various stereotypic behavior types have been reported, including oral, head and locomotory related behaviors, and pacing are the most commonly seen. Stereotypic behavior level could be monitored using an observation-reporting system or fecal corticoid. Environmental and feeding enrichment are the proposed solutions; however, habituation could be developed. Parallel intermittent and consecutive environmental enrichment and unpredictable feeding schedule would be beneficial. Medication, especially long-term and low-dosage fluoxetine, was found to be effective in alleviating bear stereotypic behaviors.

Background Semen from the chimpanzee species becomes a colloidal solid after ejaculation. The formation of this copulatory plug is believed to prevent additional spermatozoa of subsequent mating events from accessing the ova. However, this naturally preserved strategy hampers the processes for sperm preparation. In this study, we investigated whether collagenase can be used to degelify the semen plug and accelerate the semen liquefaction process in zoo captive chimpanzee species (Pan troglodytes). Results We showed that incubation of chimpanzee ejaculates with 0.1% type I collagenase efficiently and significantly (p

The Formosan sika deer (Cervus nippon taiouanus) is an endemic subspecies in Taiwan. The original wilddeer has been extinct since the late 1960s. The largest captive population is located at the Taipei Zoo. Except forinfectious disease outbreaks, no systemic medical research has been reported for this subspecies. This study wasconducted to analyze the medical status of the captive Formosan sika deer population, including the hematologicaland serum chemistry characteristics. To accomplish this, medical records for 34 Formosan sika deer from January2003 to January 2014 were acquired and analyzed. The most common illness and cause of death was trauma, followedby gastrointestinal and respiratory disease, respectively. The hematologic and serum chemical values of healthy adultswere quite different from those of sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis). This study provides a closer medicalunderstanding of this subspecies and the results will facilitate its management.Keywords : Formosan sika deer, gastrointestinal disease, respiratory disease, Taiwan, trauma

A 11-year-old female Koala showed anorexia, lethargy and weakness. Hematology, blood chemistry and urinalysis were non-specific. Computed tomography (CT) revealed ascites and masses within the abdomen, and the volumes of some masses increased 20% during a 10-week period. At necropsy, there was 115 mL of clear ascites, and visceral lesions were located mainly in the spleen and liver. The spleen was diffusely enlarged by infiltrative white firm neoplastic tissue with irregularly protuberant nodules, of 0.2 to 5 cm, that had totally effaced the parenchyma. The liver contained multiple random scattered softer nodules, of 0.2 to 2.0 cm, some of which were protruding. One nodule of < 1 cm was noted on the mesentery. Histologically, the neoplasm was composed of a low cellularity of elongated fusiform cells distributed amongst an abundant collagenous matrix. Tumor cells were stained positive intracytoplasmically for vimentin and negative for α-smooth muscle actin. This fibrosarcoma (FS) likely originated from the spleen, with secondary metastasis to the liver, from which via transcoelomic implantation spread to the diaphragm and mesentery. This is considered a rare report of primary splenic FS in a captive koala.

Various staining methods are available for reptilian species blood cell quantification. However, these methods have shown inaccurate differentiation limitations. The current study evaluates staining effects and blood cell counting results using an alternative method, counting blood cells diluted with 0.45% sodium chloride solution and stained with crystal violet. Blood samples from 8 red-eared slider turtles ( Trachemys scripta) were collected. Red and white blood cell counts were performed using different methods: the unstained method, the Unopette method, Liu stain, and crystal violet method using blood cells diluted in various sodium chloride solution osmolarities. The staining properties and blood cell count results were compared. The crystal violet method using blood cells diluted in 0.45% sodium chloride solution delivered the best staining and counting results among all of the tested methods, with the lowest average coefficient of variance. The proposed method can easily be performed, serving as a feasible method for blood cell counting in chelonians.

The Formosan serow (Capricornis swinhoei) is a rare endemic species found in Taiwan. Few studies, including studies on anesthetic protocols, have been conducted on this species. This study evaluates the anesthetic effectiveness of intramuscular xylazine-ketamine and dexmedetomidine-ketamine on captive Formosan serows. Fifty-seven anesthetic events were performed on 22 adults using a combination of xylazine (2.6 ± 0.5 mg/kg) and ketamine (3.7 ± 1.0 mg/kg). Forty-eight anesthetic events were performed on 29 adults using a combination of dexmedetomidine (33.9 ± 4.3 μg/kg) and ketamine (3.4 ± 0.4 mg/kg). Xylazine-ketamine anesthesia was antagonized with tolazoline (3.3 ± 0.8 mg/kg). Dexmedetomidine-ketamine anesthesia was antagonized with atipamezole (272.8 ± 78.2 μg/kg). Both drug combinations showed smooth anesthetic and recovery processes without statistical differences in respiratory rate, heart rate, rectal temperature and hemoglobin oxygen saturation. Dexmedetomidine-ketamine reversed by atipamezole showed a significantly shorter recovery time (1.8 ± 2.3 min) than xylazine-ketamine reversed by tolazoline (4.5 ± 1.7 min) (P0.05). Both anesthetic protocols indicated safe and reliable immobilization whereas atipamezole provided better reversal.

The Formosan serow (Capricornis swinhoei) is endemic to Taiwan. The wild population has declined dramatically over the past few decades and the species is listed as a "precious and rare species" protected under law in Taiwan. Disease investigations have been rare except for sporadic observations of wild individuals, and no long-term disease survey has been performed on this species. The objective of this study was to identify and report on the most common diseases in captive Formosan serows and determine the potential causes. Medical records of Formosan serows (n = 62) housed at the Taipei Zoo over a 20-yr period (1991-2011) were collected and analyzed for this study. The most common diseases affected the gastrointestinal system and the skin. Parasitic etiologies accounted for greater than 85% of these diseases, and coinfection was common. Coccidia and lice were the most common endo- and ectoparasites, respectively. High mortality was noted in serows less than 1 yr old associated with parasitism. The results from this study could provide vital information on disease prevention and species management, which may greatly help in rehabilitation of captive and wild populations.

Background The Azoospermia Factor c (AZFc) region of the human Y chromosome is a unique product of segmental duplication. It consists almost entirely of very long amplicons, represented by different colors, and is frequently deleted in subfertile men. Most of the AZFc amplicons have high sequence similarity with autosomal segments, indicating recent duplication and transposition to the Y chromosome. The Deleted in Azoospermia (DAZ) gene within the red-amplicon arose from an ancestral autosomal DAZ-like (DAZL) gene. It varies significantly between different men regarding to its copy number and the numbers of RNA recognition motif and DAZ repeat it encodes. We used Southern analyses to study the evolution of DAZ and AZFc amplicons on the Y chromosomes of primates. Results The Old World monkey rhesus macaque has only one DAZ gene. In contrast, the great apes have multiple copies of DAZ, ranging from 2 copies in bonobos and gorillas to at least 6 copies in orangutans, and these DAZ genes have polymorphic structures similar to those of their human counterparts. Sequences homologous to the various AZFc amplicons are present on the Y chromosomes of some but not all primates, indicating that they arrived on the Y chromosome at different times during primate evolution. Conclusion The duplication and transposition of AZFc amplicons to the human Y chromosome occurred in three waves, i.e., after the branching of the New World monkey, the gorilla, and the chimpanzee/bonobo lineages, respectively. The red-amplicon, one of the first to arrive on the Y chromosome, amplified by inverted duplication followed by direct duplication after the separation of the Old World monkey and the great ape lineages. Subsequent duplication/deletion in the various lineages gave rise to a spectrum of DAZ gene structure and copy number found in today's great apes.