scholarly journals Captive husbandry and breeding of the Nguru spiny pygmy chameleon Rhampholeon acuminatus

2021 ◽  
pp. 24-27
Author(s):  
Jay Redbond
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Pet Trade ◽  
Total Length ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Breeding Programmes ◽  
Conservation Breeding ◽  
Published Account

The Nguru spiny pygmy chameleon (Rhampholeon acuminatus) is endemic to the Nguru mountains in Tanzania. It is assessed as Critically Endangered and is collected from the wild for the pet trade. An ex-situ population of this species was recently established at The Wild Planet Trust, Paignton Zoo, in the hope of learning more about the husbandry and biology of this species. We report on the captive husbandry of adults and the successful breeding, hatching and rearing of juveniles. Females carried four eggs but laid them in pairs. When eggs were incubated at 19.2-22.8 °C, hatchlings emerged roughly 180 days after laying. The hatchlings had a total length of about 30 mm and weighed 0.2-0.3 g. To our knowledge, this is the first published account of captive breeding for this species. The husbandry methods described could be used to establish populations of this and other Rhampholeon species in captivity, which in turn would reduce the demand for wild caught (Rhampholeon), as well as inform future conservation breeding programmes for this species.

scholarly journals Captive husbandry and breeding of the reticulated glass frog, Hyalinobatrachium valerioi (Anura: Centrolenidae)

2019 ◽  
pp. 14-17
Author(s):  
Jay Redbond
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Clutch Size ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Pet Trade ◽  
Total Length ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
The Uk

The reticulated glass frog (Hyalinobatrachium valerioi) from Central and South America is a species that has been widely collected from the wild for the pet trade. An ex situ population of this frog was recently established at Slimbridge Wetland Centre, UK, in the hope of learning more about the husbandry and biology of this species. We report on the captive husbandry of adults and the successful breeding and rearing of larvae to metamorphosis. Clutch size was 28 eggs. The eggs hatched at 15-18 days after laying and tadpoles reached a total length of 34 mm. The first individuals started metamorphosis 147 days after hatching at water temperatures of 22-28 °C. Hyalinobatrachium valerioi is still being collected from the wild for the international pet trade and to our knowledge this is the first documented breeding of this species in the UK. The husbandry methods described here could be used to breed this and other Hyalinobatrachium species in captivity and so reduce collecting from wild populations.

scholarly journals Effect of captivity on morphology: negligible changes in external morphology mask significant changes in internal morphology

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 172470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie K. Courtney Jones ◽  
Adam J. Munn ◽  
Phillip G. Byrne
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
External Morphology ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Internal Morphology ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Two Generations ◽  
Breeding Programmes ◽  
Source Populations

Captive breeding programmes are increasingly relied upon for threatened species management. Changes in morphology can occur in captivity, often with unknown consequences for reintroductions. Few studies have examined the morphological changes that occur in captive animals compared with wild animals. Further, the effect of multiple generations being maintained in captivity, and the potential effects of captivity on sexual dimorphism remain poorly understood. We compared external and internal morphology of captive and wild animals using house mouse ( Mus musculus ) as a model species. In addition, we looked at morphology across two captive generations, and compared morphology between sexes. We found no statistically significant differences in external morphology, but after one generation in captivity there was evidence for a shift in the internal morphology of captive-reared mice; captive-reared mice (two generations bred) had lighter combined kidney and spleen masses compared with wild-caught mice. Sexual dimorphism was maintained in captivity. Our findings demonstrate that captive breeding can alter internal morphology. Given that these morphological changes may impact organismal functioning and viability following release, further investigation is warranted. If the morphological change is shown to be maladaptive, these changes would have significant implications for captive-source populations that are used for reintroduction, including reduced survivorship.

Uncertain breeding: a short history of reproduction in monotremes

2001 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Temple-Smith ◽  
Tom Grant
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Accurate Estimate ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Short History ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Breeding Programmes ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Function ◽  
Breeding Seasons ◽  
Future Population

Although much is known about the biology of monotremes, many important aspects of their reproduction remain unclear. Studies over the last century have provided valuable information on various aspects of monotreme reproduction including the structure and function of their reproductive system, breeding behaviour, sex determination and seasonality. All three living genera of monotremes have been successfully maintained in captivity, often for long periods, yet breeding has been rare and unpredictable. When breeding has occurred, however, significant gains in knowledge have ensued; for example a more accurate estimate of the gestation period of the platypus and the incubation period for the Tachyglossus egg. One of the great challenges for zoos has been to understand why breeding of monotremes is difficult to achieve. Analysis of breeding successes of platypuses and short-beaked echidnas provides some insights. The evidence suggests that although annual breeding seasons are regionally predictable, individual adult females breed unpredictably, with some showing breeding intervals of many years. The reason for this variation in individual breeding intervals may be resource-dependant, influenced by social factors or may even be genetically induced. Better knowledge of factors that influence breeding intervals may improve the success of monotreme captive breeding programmes. More certainty in captive breeding is also an important issue for enterprises wishing to trade in Australian wildlife since current legislation limits export of Australian fauna for display to at least second-generation captive-bred individuals. Given their unique evolutionary position, knowledge of reproduction in monotremes needs to be gained in advance of any future population declines so that appropriate strategies can be developed to ensure their survival.

scholarly journals Parents’ presence affects embryos’ development in Salaria fluviatilis (Asso, 1801), a fish with parental care

2014 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-309
Author(s):  
Noëlle Fabre ◽  
Eduardo García-Galea ◽  
Dolors Vinyoles
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Embryo Development ◽  
Physical Condition ◽  
Standard Length ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Yolk Sac ◽  
Sexual Determination ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Breeding Programmes ◽  
Head Height

In fishes, the parents’ presence generally improves embryos’ survival through parental care, but it is also associated with some disadvantages such as clutch cannibalism and loss of male physical condition. Captive breeding of the river blennySalaria fluviatilismight improve if these disadvantages were avoided by artificially replacing parental care benefits in the lab. Before accepting this procedure, it should be studied whether embryo development is dependent or not on any other unknown effect related to the parents’ presence. In this study, the ontogenetic sequence and several morphological structures – standard length, head height, jaw length and yolk-sac volume – from embryos reared both in the presence and in the absence of the parents were compared. At day 11 after oviposition, in the parents’ absence treatment, well-developed embryos were obtained, but a smaller size of the yolk-sac, a greater head height and a tendency to have a greater jaw length than in the parents’ presence treatment were found. These results suggest that the parents’ presence might affect embryo development and perhaps offspring sexual determination. Given these differences, the practise of depriving clutches from their parents in captivity breeding programmes should be questioned.

scholarly journals Blind Trading: A Literature Review of Research Addressing the Welfare of Ball Pythons in the Exotic Pet Trade

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennah Green ◽  
Emma Coulthard ◽  
David Megson ◽  
John Norrey ◽  
Laura Norrey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Veterinary Science ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Pet Trade ◽  
Nutrition Environment ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Widespread Availability

Extensive numbers of Ball pythons are caught, bred, traded and subsequently kept in captivity across the world as part of the exotic pet industry. Despite their widespread availability as pets, relatively little is known about the potential welfare challenges affecting them. We reviewed the literature for research focused on the health and welfare of Ball pythons in the international pet trade. From a total of 88 articles returned from the search criteria, our analysis showed that very few actually focused on trade (10%) or animal welfare (17%). Instead, the majority (64%) of articles focused on veterinary science. There was a considerable bias towards physical health, with most studies neglecting the four other domains of animal welfare (behaviour, nutrition, environment and mental health). Furthermore, very few studies considered Ball pythons prior to resulting pet ownership, during wild capture and transportation or captive breeding operations. Our review demonstrates that our current understanding of welfare for Ball pythons traded as exotic pets is limited. We recommend that future research should focus on aspects of the industry that are currently overlooked, including the potential consequences of genetic selection during captive-breeding and the conditions provided for snakes prior to and during international transportation.

scholarly journals Evolution of Avian Conservation Breeding With Insights for Addressing the Current Extinction Crisis

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse D'Elia
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Population Expansion ◽  
Natural History Museums ◽  
Avian Conservation ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Exotic Animals ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Conservation Breeding

Abstract Birds have been bred in captivity since the dawn of civilization. In the nineteenth century, breeding rare and exotic animals for the menageries of royalty and aristocrats transitioned to the formation of public zoological gardens and natural history museums. With industrialization and human population expansion, some bird species became rare or disappeared entirely. Once the magnitude of the destructive forces of humans became evident, concerted efforts were initiated to restore depleted bird populations by using, among other techniques, captive breeding. In this article, I explore the evolution of avian conservation breeding programs and evaluate how this historical review informs our outlook for addressing the current extinction crisis.

scholarly journals Biology and Captive Breeding of the Amazonian Milk Frog, Trachycephalus resinifictrix (Goeldi 1907)

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-75
Author(s):  
Fabien Mignet
Keyword(s):  
Immune Function ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Biological Traits ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
General Welfare ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Private Contributions ◽  
Conservation Breeding

Although the Amazonian Milk Frog (Trachycephalus resinifictrix) is commonly bred in captivity in zoological institutions worldwide, very little information regarding these undertakings has been published. Here, I report my experience with the successful breeding of T. resinifictrix at the Touroparc Zoo. I highlight some fundamental biological traits in order to fulfill the requirements for captive breeding and to ensure the general welfare of these frogs. The aim is to provide guidelines that may be used by zoos, aquariums, and other facilities as well as private contributions to conservation breeding programs for endangered anurans with requirements similar to those of T. resinifictrix. In general, this species is easy to keep in captivity. Larvae are easy to produce and raise with very low mortality rates. They usually metamorphose at six to ten weeks. However, newly metamorphosed frogs are fragile and require more attention. Several pathogens are known to affect the health of amphibians, and stress can play an important role in immune function.

Conservation breeding and assisted reproductive technologies.

2021 ◽  
pp. 119-136
Author(s):  
Paul A. Rees
Keyword(s):  
Rare Species ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Breeding Programmes ◽  
Conservation Breeding

Abstract This chapter contains questions on the role of zoos in conservation (captive) breeding programmes and the technologies that have been developed to assist in the reproduction of rare species.

scholarly journals Will current conservation responses save the Critically Endangered Sumatran rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis?

Oryx ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasmus Gren Havmøller ◽  
Junaidi Payne ◽  
Widodo Ramono ◽  
Susie Ellis ◽  
K. Yoganand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
In Situ Conservation ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Current Conservation ◽  
Planning Stage ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Reproductive Techniques

AbstractThe Critically Endangered Sumatran rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis formerly ranged across South-east Asia. Hunting and habitat loss have made it one of the rarest large mammals and the species faces extinction despite decades of conservation efforts. The number of individuals remaining is unknown as a consequence of inadequate methods and lack of funds for the intensive field work required to estimate the population size of this rare and solitary species. However, all information indicates that numbers are low and declining. A few individuals persist in Borneo, and three tiny populations remain on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and show evidence of breeding. Rhino Protection Units are deployed at all known breeding sites but poaching and a presumed low breeding rate remain major threats. Protected areas have been created for the rhinoceros and other in situ conservation efforts have increased but the species has continued to go locally extinct across its range. Conventional captive breeding has also proven difficult; from a total of 45 Sumatran rhinoceros taken from the wild since 1984 there were no captive births until 2001. Since then only two pairs have been actively bred in captivity, resulting in four births, three by the same pair at the Cincinnati Zoo and one at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Sumatra, with the sex ratio skewed towards males. To avoid extinction it will be necessary to implement intensive management zones, manage the metapopulation as a single unit, and develop advanced reproductive techniques as a matter of urgency. Intensive census efforts are ongoing in Bukit Barisan Selatan but elsewhere similar efforts remain at the planning stage.

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