Reptile & Amphibian Forums

...a thread ran on sperm viability last weekend, and I was not able to participate further...(busy)...

At any rate, a mentioned that there is a time interval between no sperm production (and lack of sperm plugs) and the production of VIABLE sperm...

Within the testes, "germ" cells begin sperm production at the onset of puberty, but a large percentage of the early spermatocytes are defective, incomplete (ie sperm heads with no tails, abnormal sperm heads, etc) or otherwise abnormal in structure/function, and it can take time (this time can vary) until mature mostly viable sperm are present in the vas deferens. Even early on in this process sperm PLUGS may be present, but it CAN BE upwards of a year or more for VIABLE sperm to be produced.

Thought I'd mention this.

Scott J. Michaels DVM
Serpent City

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Chad Bachman

np

also.....even after all viable healthy sperm is in production....it can be stopped/ messed up with an outside force/source...IE too hot too cold too much ? stress(maybe not this)...etc.....chemicals?......(don't know.and have no example)....

in some species anyways..

I know that Lampropeltus triangulum campbelli......would breed successfully here for years UNTIL I brumated them...then they didn't give me babies again for 2 or 3 years (sold them all then)........and I had 4.6 of them.......

as for balls.....? what would kill all the sperm?
and what time would it take for them to come back?...weeks?....months?..........

.......thanx.......
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...stress indeed: starvation, infections, temp stress...

Although I used to produce a fair # of campbelli and we do some serious brumation in these parts (Chicago)...

Anyways, time for return-to-viability would seem to vary depending on the stressor...SJM

...stress indeed: starvation, infections, temp stress...

Although I used to produce a fair # of campbelli and we do some serious brumation in these parts (Chicago)...

Anyways, time for return-to-viability would seem to vary depending on the stressor...SJM