Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
The biology of reproduction of the Tete veld rat, Aethomys ineptus and the Namaqua rock mouse, Aethomys namaquensis (Rodentia: Muridae)
Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2006.
Saved in:
| Other Authors: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Published: |
University of Pretoria
2013
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613542942769152 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Bennett, Nigel Charles |
| author_browse | Bennett, Nigel Charles |
| author_facet | Bennett, Nigel Charles |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2003, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2006. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/24369 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:37:48.825Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateRange | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/24369 The biology of reproduction of the Tete veld rat, Aethomys ineptus and the Namaqua rock mouse, Aethomys namaquensis (Rodentia: Muridae) Bennett, Nigel Charles Chimimba, Christian Timothy Muteka, Sachariah Penda Rats reproduction Mice reproduction UCTD Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2006. The distributional range of the Tete veld rat, Aethomys ineptus, extends from the Limpopo Province in the north through to the south of KwaZulu Natal. The Tete veld rat is a seasonal breeder, with the breeding period confmed to the wet summer months of the year in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The seasonality of reproduction in the Tete veld rat is confirmed by reproductive tract morphometrics, ovarian histology, plasma progesterone, and oestradiol-17β in females, and testicular histology and plasma testosterone concentrations in males. The presence of some spermatogenic activity and spermatozoa in the epididymides, as well as some follicular activity and raised circulating progesterone, and oestradiol-17β concentrations in some females during winter intimates that the Tete veld rat is possibly an opportunistic breeder. Reproduction during winter is presumably restricted by food availability and adverse winter conditions. The Namaqua rock mouse, Aethomys Namaquensis, on the other hand is widely distributed in the southern African subregion. Reproductive tract morphometrics, ovarian histology, plasma progesterone and oestradiol-17β in females, and testicular histology, seminiferous tubule diameters and plasma testosterone concentrations in males confirm that the Namaqua rock mouse is a strictly seasonal breeder. The breeding period starts in October and extends to the end of February. The absence of Graafian follicles, corpora lutea, corpora albicans, corpus hemorrhagicum, lower plasma progesterone and oestradiol concentrations in females, and small seminiferous tubule diameters, and lower testosterone concentrations during winter months suggest that reproduction is completely inhibited during this period of the year. Photoperiodic responsiveness was determined in both the Tete veld rat and the Namaqua rock mouse by exposing the animals to long day (LD) and short day (SD) lengths. Testicular mass expressed against body mass, testicular volume, and seminiferous tubule diameters were significantly larger and plasma testosterone concentrations were significantly higher in males subjected to a long day photoperiod than in males exposed to a short day. These fmdings suggest that both species are photoperiodically responsive and that photoperiod could potentially play a role in reproduction in both the Tete veld rat and the Namaqua rock mouse. In conclusion, the results in this study suggest that the Tete veld rat is a seasonal breeder with the breeding period confined to the rainy summer months in South Africa. The breeding season starts in October and extends to April. Reproduction in the Tete veld rat appears to involve photoperiod. The Namaqua rock mouse is a strictly seasonal breeder with a breeding period occurring between October and the end of February. Breeding during the winter months is completely inhibited. The Namaqua rock mouse may also utilize photoperiod to initiate reproductive events. Zoology and Entomology Unrestricted 2013-09-06T17:19:15Z 2005-05-19 2013-09-06T17:19:15Z 2004-04-24 2006-05-19 2005-05-06 Dissertation Muteka, SP 2003, The biology of reproduction of the Tete veld rat, Aethomys ineptus and the Namaqua rock mouse, Aethomys namaquensis (Rodentia: Muridae), MSc dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24369 > H702/ag http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24369 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05062005-112918/ © 2003, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Rats reproduction Mice reproduction UCTD The biology of reproduction of the Tete veld rat, Aethomys ineptus and the Namaqua rock mouse, Aethomys namaquensis (Rodentia: Muridae) |
| title | The biology of reproduction of the Tete veld rat, Aethomys ineptus and the Namaqua rock mouse, Aethomys namaquensis (Rodentia: Muridae) |
| title_full | The biology of reproduction of the Tete veld rat, Aethomys ineptus and the Namaqua rock mouse, Aethomys namaquensis (Rodentia: Muridae) |
| title_fullStr | The biology of reproduction of the Tete veld rat, Aethomys ineptus and the Namaqua rock mouse, Aethomys namaquensis (Rodentia: Muridae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | The biology of reproduction of the Tete veld rat, Aethomys ineptus and the Namaqua rock mouse, Aethomys namaquensis (Rodentia: Muridae) |
| title_short | The biology of reproduction of the Tete veld rat, Aethomys ineptus and the Namaqua rock mouse, Aethomys namaquensis (Rodentia: Muridae) |
| title_sort | biology of reproduction of the tete veld rat aethomys ineptus and the namaqua rock mouse aethomys namaquensis rodentia muridae |
| topic | Rats reproduction Mice reproduction UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24369 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05062005-112918/ |