Comparative Anatomy of the Reproductive System (EXOTICS)

Question 1

why don’t fish and birds have peritoneal cavity?

Answer 1

no diaphragm therefore no thoracic or abdominal cavities: they have one shared cavity called the coelom

Question 2

cloaca?

Answer 2

a common exit to the intestinal, urinaru and genital tracts seen in reptiles birds and some fish

Question 3

how many sections of cloaca?

Answer 3

3
coprodeum
urodeum
proctodeum

Question 3

where are the organs in male reptiles?

Answer 3

within the coelomic activity

Question 4

testes of reptiles?

Answer 4

they are pale and internal, they lie either side of the bladder

Question 5

Snake and lizards have what? (male reproductive)

Answer 5

have paired hemipenes which evert for copulation

Question 6

phallus hemipene?

Answer 6

formed from the cloaca, from the engorgement of fibrous/vascular erectile tissue

Question 7

hemipenes can be amputated, why?

Answer 7

not involved in urination

Question 8

most female reptiles do what?

Answer 8

lay eggs
some species produce live young (viviparous/ovoviviparous)

Question 9

oviparous reptiles?

Answer 9

the ovaries produce follicles when they ovulate these become eggs and are ‘laid’

Question 10

ovoviviparous?

Answer 10

egg develops inside female, live young. May have placenta, may be solely yolk

Question 11

which reptiles are induced ovulators?

Answer 11

some reptiles, like tortoises

Question 12

clutches of eggs?

Answer 12

reptiles tend to lay eggs clutches
groups of eggs laid at once or over several days

Question 13

male?

Answer 13

cloaca on tail is likely to be further away from end of shell
tail is longer
concave plastron (shell - not very reliable tho)

Question 14

sexing bearded dragons?

Answer 14

genital pores
and hemipenile bulges

Question 15

sexing geckos?

Answer 15

hemipenile bulges - male
female - less obvious femoral pores
males are more obvious

Question 16

birds also have a?

Answer 16

cloaca

Question 17

where are testes of a bird?

Answer 17

inside the coelomic cavity

Question 18

testes of birds?

Answer 18

paid, asymmetric

Question 19

Adaptation of male birds?

Answer 19

Spermatogenesis occurs at higher temperatures than in mammals

Question 20

Bird copulation?

Answer 20

not intromission - usually via cloacal ‘kiss’

Question 21

penises in birds?

Answer 21

they are rare, formed from cloacal wall and engorged using lymph, resulting in eversion

Question 22

birds mostly have a ___ not a penis?

Answer 22

phallas (lake ducks can have a penis though)

Question 23

amputation of duck penis? need to know -

Answer 23

where blood vessels and nerves are

Question 24

All birds are oviparous - meaning?

Answer 24

they all lay eggs

Question 25

ovaries of birds?

Answer 25

ovaries produce follicles (ova) when they ovulate these become eggs

Question 26

incubation triggers?

Answer 26

development of egg
need temp, humidity and rotation

Question 27

side of reproductive tract? (female)

Answer 27

females tend to only have one side of the reproductive tract that functions (usually LEFT)
the other side is present but never really develops
the undeveloped side can later develop as male and then hen can start crowing and even fertilise eggs

Question 28

sexing birds?

Answer 28

difficult
large amount of species variety
sexual dimorphism in many

Question 29

colour of base of beak (cere)? sexing budgies

Answer 29

light brown : hen
blue : cock

Question 30

sexing parrots and other birds?

Answer 30

DNA blood test
feather DNA test; freshly growing
laying eggs
(can be 10-15yrs before, secretive laying, husbandry)
behaviour? not very reliable males bond stronger to females human etc.

Question 31

laparoscopic scope for sexing parrots and other bird?

Answer 31

older technique, visual representation of reproductive tract

Question 32

guppie?

Answer 32

live bearing offspring

Question 33

gonads in fish?

Answer 33

they are elongated and lie alongside the kidney

Question 34

sperm in males and ova in females is passed into…?

Answer 34

into a duct system and then into the urogenital sinus

Question 35

urogenital sinus?

Answer 35

it is a common opening to the kidney and the gonads and leads to the outside aperture

Question 36

urogenital sinus used for?

Answer 36

to get rid of nitrogenous waste

Question 37

where are fish ovaries located?

Answer 37

sit ventrally to kidneys and swim bladder but they are more dorsal in the coelom compared to male testes

Question 38

colour of ovaries in fish?

Answer 38

they are more orange in colour
and produce roe/caviar

Question 39

sexing farmed fish?

Answer 39

behaviour
ultrasound
palpation (oral)
postmortem

triploid (3 sets of chromosomes instead of 2 so not fertile)

Question 40

fry

Answer 40

young fish -

Question 41

fry exposed to testosterone?

Answer 41

have male body even though genetically female so everything comes out female

Question 42

sexing goldfish males develop? - during breeding

Answer 42

breeding tubercles (white spots on gill covers and pectoral fins
if the white spot is more generalised (e.g. on opperculum) then likely parasite

Question 43

sexing goldfish - females?

Answer 43

the female vent enlarges slightly and is more obvious

Question 44

sexing tropical fish?

Answer 44

body shape
fin length
coloration

Question 45

hypocalcaemia?

Answer 45

not enough sunlight - lack of vit D for exotic species