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Animals
Special Issues
Advances in the Reproduction of Wild and Exotic Animals
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Advances in the Reproduction of Wild and Exotic Animals

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 2110

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Salvatore Desantis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
Interests: reproductive apparatus; digestive apparatus; glycobiology; lectins; microarrays; histology; electron microscopy; stem cells; extracellular vesicles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Antonio Ciro Guaricci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
Interests: molecular sex determination in birds and reptiles; reproduction in fish and mammals; gamete analysis; gamete cryopreservation; molecular biology; opioids and opioid receptors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, there has been growing interest in wild and exotic animals, which also include endangered species. Due to their heterogeneity, there are significant differences in reproductive strategies. Although there has been an increase in the number of studies on this topic, many aspects of the reproductive biology of species belonging to these categories of animals remain uninvestigated. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to publish the results of basic and applied original research, as well as reviews covering a wide range of topics in the reproductive biology of wild and exotic animals to understand their biology better.

Original contributions related to the following topics, among others, are welcome:

  • Male and female reproductive systems.
  • Male and female physiology and endocrinology.
  • Reproductive management.
  • Reproduction and seasonality.
  • Sperm preservation.
  • Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in reproduction.
  • Welfare and reproduction.

Dr. Salvatore Desantis
Dr. Antonio Ciro Guaricci
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wild animals
  • exotic animals
  • morphology of male and female reproductive systems
  • genomics
  • reproduction and environmental adaptation
  • seasonality
  • breeding strategies
  • endangered animals

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 9405 KB  
Article
Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Kodkod (Leopardus guigna) Oocytes After In Vitro Maturation and Parthenogenetic Activation
by Deyna Toledo-Saldivia, Alonso Cáceres-Hernández, Daniela Doussang, Camila Zapata-Rojas, Sebastián Vergara, Ingrid Carvacho, Fidel Ovidio Castro, Lleretny Rodriguez-Alvarez and Daniel Veraguas-Dávila
Animals 2025, 15(20), 3031; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15203031 - 19 Oct 2025
Viewed by 522
Abstract
The kodkod (Leopardus guigna) is a vulnerable wild felid native to South America whose population is steadily declining. ARTs offer valuable tools for the preservation of its genetic diversity. Our study provides the first evaluation of the morphological and functional acquisition [...] Read more.
The kodkod (Leopardus guigna) is a vulnerable wild felid native to South America whose population is steadily declining. ARTs offer valuable tools for the preservation of its genetic diversity. Our study provides the first evaluation of the morphological and functional acquisition of competence in kodkod oocytes using protocols previously established for domestic cat oocytes. In total, 29 iCOCs were obtained from the ovaries of a single juvenile female kodkod that deceased in a wildlife rehabilitation center. Based on morphological criteria, 13 oocytes were selected for IVM and subsequently evaluated for developmental competence following parthenogenetic activation (PA) and in vitro culture (IVC). Kodkod oocytes appear to be smaller and have a thinner zona pellucida compared to those of domestic cat oocytes. These kodkod oocytes demonstrated the ability to mature in vitro, underwent cleavage, and developed in vitro to the blastocyst stage by day 9. Here, we show that protocols to manage domestic cat oocytes and embryos can support kodkod in vitro oocyte maturation, activation, and in vitro embryo development. However, given that the results were obtained from a single individual and the protocols were tested in a limited number of oocytes, further studies involving additional specimens are essential to validate these observations and refine ART applications for kodkod conservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Reproduction of Wild and Exotic Animals)
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16 pages, 910 KB  
Article
Optimizing Sperm Cryopreservation from Four Endangered Korean Amphibian Species: Species-Specific Effects of Cryoprotectants and Cooling Regimes on Membrane-Integrity Viability
by Jun-Sung Kim, Da Som Park, Jun-Kyu Park, Ji-Eun Lee, Jeong Chan Moon and Yuno Do
Animals 2025, 15(20), 3013; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15203013 - 17 Oct 2025
Viewed by 629
Abstract
Global amphibian populations are declining rapidly and the development of effective cryopreservation protocols for germ cells has become a critical tool in ex situ conservation programs. Post-thaw membrane-integrity viability in four endangered Korean amphibians (Dryophytes suweonensis, Pelophylax chosenicus, Kaloula borealis [...] Read more.
Global amphibian populations are declining rapidly and the development of effective cryopreservation protocols for germ cells has become a critical tool in ex situ conservation programs. Post-thaw membrane-integrity viability in four endangered Korean amphibians (Dryophytes suweonensis, Pelophylax chosenicus, Kaloula borealis, and Hynobius yangi) were evaluated. Sperm were cryopreserved using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) at 10–30% (v/v) in combination with 0.6 M sucrose, and were frozen at two suspension heights (5 cm vs. 10 cm) above liquid nitrogen. Post-thaw membrane-integrity viability was assessed using a SYBR-14/propidium iodide membrane-integrity assay (LIVE/DEAD kit). Low concentrations of permeating cryoprotectants (CPs) improved membrane-integrity viability, whereas high concentrations led to high toxicity, particularly with DMSO. Across species, DMF produced the highest membrane-integrity viability and the most consistent performance. The cooling rate influenced membrane-integrity viability, with samples frozen at 10 cm exhibiting greater viability, reflecting the balance between intracellular ice formation during rapid cooling and solution effects during slow cooling. Optimal conditions for D. suweonensis were 15% DMSO at 10 cm (86.5% membrane-integrity viability); for P. chosenicus, 10% DMF at 10 cm (75.5%); and for K. borealis, 10% DMSO at 5 cm (81.6% membrane-integrity viability). Hynobius yangi showed modest improvement under 15% DMF at 5 cm (19.7%), although overall membrane-integrity viability was low. ED50 modeling indicated species-specific thresholds requiring low CP concentrations. Sperm cryopreservation outcomes in amphibians are strongly influenced by CP type, concentration, cooling regime, and species physiology. GLM and ED50 modeling provide a methodological framework for refining cryopreservation strategies for non-model, endangered species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Reproduction of Wild and Exotic Animals)
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12 pages, 719 KB  
Article
Production of Cloned Bighorn Sheep Embryos Using ISCNT via HMC from Domestic Sheep Oocytes Treated with Resveratrol During IVM
by José Roberto Vazquez-Avendaño, Demetrio Alonso Ambríz-García, Alfredo Trejo-Córdova, José Antonio Sandoval-Zárate, Fernando Gual-Sill, Jessica Elivier Nuñez-Macias, Fahiel Casillas and María del Carmen Navarro-Maldonado
Animals 2025, 15(19), 2872; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15192872 - 30 Sep 2025
Viewed by 707
Abstract
The aim of this study was to treat sheep oocytes with resveratrol during in vitro maturation (IVM) and use them as cytoplasts in ISCNT via handmade cloning (HMC), evaluating the effect of resveratrol on the in vitro development of cloned Mexican bighorn sheep [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to treat sheep oocytes with resveratrol during in vitro maturation (IVM) and use them as cytoplasts in ISCNT via handmade cloning (HMC), evaluating the effect of resveratrol on the in vitro development of cloned Mexican bighorn sheep embryos. Post mortem skin fibroblasts from an adult male specimen were frozen for 8 years, thawed, and reseeded for eight cell passages. For IVM, Ovis aries oocytes were treated with 0, 0.5, or 1.0 µM resveratrol. Matured oocytes were manually enucleated, and triplets (O. aries cytoplast–Ovis canadensis mexicana karyoplast–O. aries cytoplast) were formed and electrically fused. The reconstructed embryos were chemically activated and cultured for in vitro development (IVD). The IVM rate was 81.8 ± 10.4% for CG, 81.9 ± 6.7% for EG1, and 76.3 ± 7.7% for EG2, with no significant differences between groups. For IVD, EG1 showed a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) in the blastocyst rate (31 ± 12.0%) and a statistically significant decrease in the fragmented embryo rate (25 ± 10.4) when compared with the other groups. It was concluded that better rates of cloned bighorn sheep blastocysts could be obtained in ISCNT via HMC when fusing O. aries oocytes supplemented with resveratrol during IVM with post mortem adult male O. c. mexicana fibroblasts that had been cryopreserved for 8 years. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Reproduction of Wild and Exotic Animals)
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