Electroejaculation of Australian marsupials and analyses of the sugars in the seminal plasma from three macropod species

Abstract

Electroejaculation of a variety of Australian marsupials was attempted in this study. The animals used were conscious, sedated, anaesthetized or recently shot. Electroejaculation proved to be a satisfactory means of obtaining seminal plasma but not spermatozoa. The largest volumes of seminal plasma were collected from animals shortly after death. Anaesthetized animals also provided useful volumes of seminal plasma but only insignificant amounts were obtained from conscious and sedated animals. Quantitative analyses of N acetylglucosamine, glucose and anthronereactive material were made of deproteinized, deionized, water extracts of seminal plasma from electroejaculates obtained from wallabies and kangaroos shortly after death. The major seminal sugar of the 3 macropod species was N acetylglucosamine and glucose was also present in quite large concentrations. These observations show that the pattern of sugars in the prostate gland of marsupials is reflected in the semen.