Review Article

Male Rabbit Reproductive Physiology

^*1Campos ACN, ²Gadelha CRF, ¹Guerreiro MEF, ¹Pereira ES, ²Lima ICS, ¹Linard MAB, ¹Meneses HM, ¹Castelo-Branco KF and ¹Estevam FNL

¹Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Ceara, Campus do Pici, Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil

²Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Tocantins, Dianópolis, Tocantins, Brazil

*Corresponding Author E-mail: acncampos11@gmail.com, Tel; +55 085 3366 9023, +55 85 3366 9701

Accepted 20 December 2014

Abstract

Domestic rabbits are mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha and are found in several parts of the world. This animal is fertile, very prolific, and has a short reproductive cycle. The meat quality is good and the leather can be sold, it is also used for antibody production in laboratories and by the pharmaceutical industry. But lack of information and technological backwardness are responsible for low reproductive index in Brazilian warrens. Rabbit bucks are ready for reproduction at 32 weeks of age, when the spermatical production stabilizes. This study was carried out to gather relevant information about the anatomic and physiologic aspects of rabbit reproduction, such as reproductive tract peculiarities, occurrence of puberty, sexual maturity, spermatogenesis and seminal characteristics of rabbits.

Keywords: males, anatomy, semen, rabbit.