Reproductive management of silver foxes ( Vulpes vulpes) in captivity

Specific protocols need to be developed that take into consideration the requirements of silver foxes. This study was designed to investigate the reproduction of 26 pairs of silver foxes ( Vulpes vulpes). Reproduction parameters (breeding season, age at puberty, fecundity and fertility) of the foxes...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Theriogenology 2000-06, Vol.53 (9), p.1717-1728
Main Authors: Boue, F., Delhomme, A., Chaffaux, S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Animals, Domestic - physiology
Azo Compounds - chemistry
breeding season
Coloring Agents - chemistry
Electric Impedance
Eosine Yellowish-(YS) - chemistry
Estrus Detection - methods
Female
fox
Foxes - physiology
Male
Methyl Green - chemistry
Microscopy, Phase-Contrast - veterinary
Ovariectomy - veterinary
Pregnancy
Random Allocation
reproduction
Reproduction - physiology
Semen - physiology
Ultrasonography, Prenatal - veterinary
ultrasound
Vagina - cytology
vaginal smear
Vaginal Smears - veterinary
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Summary:Specific protocols need to be developed that take into consideration the requirements of silver foxes. This study was designed to investigate the reproduction of 26 pairs of silver foxes ( Vulpes vulpes). Reproduction parameters (breeding season, age at puberty, fecundity and fertility) of the foxes were examined under experimental conditions, and new techniques to optimize fox breeding were assessed. Staining of the vaginal smears with the double HarrisSchorr stain allowed for the precise detection of estrus and proved to be more reliable than simply measuring vaginal resistance. Ultrasonography was demonstrated to be useful for pregnancy diagnosis and prediction of parturition. Results demonstrate that the methods reported in this paper are easily applicable to similar studies carried out on small groups of animals within the framework of fox animal experimentation
ISSN:0093-691X
1879-3231
DOI:10.1016/S0093-691X(00)00310-1