Lesions in phallus tissue of juveniles Caiman latirostris in captivity

LEIVA, P. M. L.; SIMONCINI, M. S.; MOORE, B. C.; MAZARATTI, M.; PIÑA, C. I.

Chetumal

Congreso; XXVI Working Meeting Crocodiles Specialist Group - UICN; 2022

Crocodiles Specialist Group - UICN

Main function of the intromittent phallusis to facilitate internal reproduction by allowing focused sperm delivery tothe female reproductive tract. Therefore, phallic lesions could jeopardize themechanics of copulation by interfering with male/female tissues interactionsand/or insemination, thus reducing an individual’s potential fecundity. Ourobjective was to describe the morphology and frequency of male penile lesionsin juvenile Caiman latirostrishatched and raised in captivity for 2 years. We investigated three elements ofcrocodylian phallus anatomy that intromit into the female cloaca duringcopulation: the shaft, glans cuff, and glans tip in n=46 males (Average totallength: ~1 m long). Sixteen (34.8%) presented phallic lesions (petechiae) onthe dorsal or ventral shaft. Similar shaft lesions (petechiae) have beenreported on juveniles Alligatormississippiensis phalli, associated with herpes crocodile virus HV1. Inorder to better understand these infection-related lesions, in the future wemust perform a histological analysis to evaluate lymphoid aggregates presenceand virus detection with PCR. Of those 16 caiman, five also presentedstructural defects on the glans cuff, an inflatable structure that putativelyproduces a copulatory lock and seal during mating. The cause of these glansmalformations may be related to interactions with enclosure environment ordamaging peer interactions. Potential impacts on husbandry and conservationwill be discussed.