Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

Published in

MDPI, Biology, 11(12), p. 1445, 2023

DOI: 10.3390/biology12111445

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Anatomy of the Female Koala Reproductive Tract

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), while being an iconic Australian marsupial, has recently been listed as endangered. To establish an improved understanding of normal reproductive anatomy, this paper brings together unpublished research which has approached the topic from two perspectives: (1) the establishment of an artificial insemination program, and (2) the definition of Chlamydia spp.-derived histopathological changes of the female koala urogenital system. Based on the presentation and histological processing of over 70 opportunistic specimens, recovered from wildlife hospitals in Southeast Queensland (Australia), we describe the gross and microanatomy of the koala ovary, oviduct, uteri, vaginal complex, and urogenital sinus during the interestrous, proliferative, and luteal phases of the reproductive cycle.