Case Report of Bilateral Cryptorchidism in Bikaneri camel

Abstract

The testes are normally in the scrotum or just after birth in most of the domestic livestock. The incidence of cryptorchidism i.e. failure to descend of one or both testes is higher in horses followed by pigs and least in cattle (Arthur et al., 1989). In camels the development of scrotal sac and descent of testes occurs after birth between 66 and 296 days and this process has been reported to be influenced by the ambient temperature (Bissa et al., 1988). Incidence of cryptorchidism was reported by Kohli and Verma (1981). The cryptorchidism may occur due to disordered endocrine secretion and could also be due to genetic abnormality (Arthur et al., loc. cit.). A case of cryptorhid camel belonging to Bikaneri breed of India is reported in this article. This animal was born at N.R.C. on Camel. The scrotal sac of the cryptorchid camel was rudimentary without testicles. It exhibited symptoms of rut viz. restlessness, aggressiveness, grinding of teeth, gurgling sound, ejection and blowing of soft palate oozing of acrid dark brown secretions from the poll glands during breeding season after attaining puberty and also mounted females for mating. Attempts to collect semen in artificial vagina from the animal were successful. The camel exhibited normal libido. During breeding season ejaculation time was 4.0 ? 0.5 min. which was almost similar to ejaculation time reported by Rai et al., (1988) for normal camel studs. In all 8 semen samples were collected. The volume of ejaculates varied from 3.7 to 4.0 ml. The semen was grayish in color, thin viscid with mild gel. The pH varied from 8.0 to 8.5. The microscopic examination revealed azoospermia and the volume was comparatively lesser than in the breeding season (average 2.2 ml). The sexual behaviour was comparable to the behaviour of normal camel studs during non breeding season reported by rai et al., (1996).