Reproduction in the endangered African wild dog: basic physiology, reproductive suppression and possible benefits of artificial insemination - PubMed

Review

Reproduction in the endangered African wild dog: basic physiology, reproductive suppression and possible benefits of artificial insemination

F Van den Berghe et al. Anim Reprod Sci. 2012 Jul.

Free article

Abstract

The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) is an endangered exotic canid with less than 5500 animals remaining in the wild. Despite numerous strategies to conserve this species, numbers of free-living animals are in decline. It is a highly social species with a complex pack structure: separate male and female dominant hierarchies with, typically, participation of subdominant adults in the rearing of the dominant breeding pairs' pups. Basic reproductive knowledge is largely missing in this species, with only limited information available on the profile of reproductive hormones, based on non-invasive endocrine monitoring. The dominant or alpha male and female are reproductively active and the subdominants are generally reproductively suppressed. However, the occasional production of litters by subdominant females and evidence of multiple paternity within litters suggests that fertility of subordinates is not completely inhibited. In this respect, there are still considerable gaps in our knowledge about the mechanisms governing reproduction and reproductive suppression in African wild dogs, particularly the influence of dominance and pack structure on both male and female fertility. Given concerns over the long-term survival of this species, further research in this area is essential to provide valuable information for their captive breeding and conservation. Reproductive information can also be applied to the development of Assisted Reproductive Techniques for this species; the utility of which in African wild dog conservation is also discussed.

Similar articles

• Monitoring stress in captive and free-ranging African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) using faecal glucocorticoid metabolites.

  Van der Weyde LK, Martin GB, Paris MC. Van der Weyde LK, et al. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2016 Jan 15;226:50-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.12.022. Epub 2015 Dec 23. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2016. PMID: 26723188

• Studies of male reproduction in captive African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus).

  Johnston SD, Ward D, Lemon J, Gunn I, MacCallum CA, Keeley T, Blyde D. Johnston SD, et al. Anim Reprod Sci. 2007 Aug;100(3-4):338-55. doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2006.08.017. Epub 2006 Aug 14. Anim Reprod Sci. 2007. PMID: 16987622

• Reproductive hormonal patterns in pregnant, pseudopregnant and acyclic captive African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus).

  Van der Weyde LK, Martin GB, Blackberry MA, Gruen V, Harland A, Paris MC. Van der Weyde LK, et al. Anim Reprod Sci. 2015 May;156:75-82. doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2015.03.003. Epub 2015 Mar 17. Anim Reprod Sci. 2015. PMID: 25818522

• Advances in reproductive science for wild carnivore conservation.

  Comizzoli P, Crosier AE, Songsasen N, Gunther MS, Howard JG, Wildt DE. Comizzoli P, et al. Reprod Domest Anim. 2009 Jul;44 Suppl 2:47-52. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2009.01373.x. Reprod Domest Anim. 2009. PMID: 19754535 Review.

• Artificial insemination in canids: a useful tool in breeding and conservation.

  Thomassen R, Farstad W. Thomassen R, et al. Theriogenology. 2009 Jan 1;71(1):190-9. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2008.09.007. Epub 2008 Oct 22. Theriogenology. 2009. PMID: 18947865 Review.

Cited by

• The successful reintroduction of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) to Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique.

  Bouley P, Paulo A, Angela M, Du Plessis C, Marneweck DG. Bouley P, et al. PLoS One. 2021 Apr 22;16(4):e0249860. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249860. eCollection 2021. PLoS One. 2021. PMID: 33886594 Free PMC article.

• Appeasing Pheromones for the Management of Stress and Aggression during Conservation of Wild Canids: Could the Solution Be Right under Our Nose?

  Riddell P, Paris MCJ, Joonè CJ, Pageat P, Paris DBBP. Riddell P, et al. Animals (Basel). 2021 May 27;11(6):1574. doi: 10.3390/ani11061574. Animals (Basel). 2021. PMID: 34072227 Free PMC article. Review.

• Behavioural and physiological plasticity in social hierarchies.

  Milewski TM, Lee W, Champagne FA, Curley JP. Milewski TM, et al. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2022 Feb 28;377(1845):20200443. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0443. Epub 2022 Jan 10. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2022. PMID: 35000436 Free PMC article.

• Dog appeasing pheromone prevents the androgen surge and may reduce contact dominance and active submission after stressful interventions in African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus).

  Van den Berghe F, Paris MCJ, Sarnyai Z, Vlamings B, Millar RP, Ganswindt A, Cozzi A, Pageat P, Paris DBBP. Van den Berghe F, et al. PLoS One. 2019 Mar 27;14(3):e0212551. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212551. eCollection 2019. PLoS One. 2019. PMID: 30917139 Free PMC article.

• Canid Reproductive Biology: Norm and Unique Aspects in Strategies and Mechanisms.

  Nagashima JB, Songsasen N. Nagashima JB, et al. Animals (Basel). 2021 Mar 1;11(3):653. doi: 10.3390/ani11030653. Animals (Basel). 2021. PMID: 33804569 Free PMC article. Review.

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

• Full Text Sources

  • Elsevier Science
  • ORBi (University of Liege)