The male genital system and reproductive cycle of Elephantulus myurus jamesoni (Chubb)

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Abstract
A study was made of the structure of the testis, epididymis, vas deferens and accessory sexual glands in a number of males of Elephantulus myurus jamesoni (Chubb), killed at different periods of the year. The testes are retained in the abdominal cavity and contain very litle connective tissue and interstitial cells; a mediastinum testis is absent and the rete testis is reduced and confined to a small area in the capsule. The corpus epididymidis is abnormally elongated. The cauda epididymidis is a large body consisting of a wide and greatly coiled tube, folded on itself and located between the rectum and the urethra in a gutter formed by the dorsal prostate glands. The testes in adults are fully active throughout the year, and no seasonal variation in the size of the testes, or change in the diameter of the seminiferous tubules, is found. The accessory sexual organs were identified as consisting of five pairs of prostate glands situated around the proximal part of the urethra, a pair of Cowper's glands and a bilobed uterus masculinus. The prostate glands differ in epithelial structure, the amount of stroma and in the type of secretion produced. The accessory sexual organs are in full activity from July to January. During the latter half of January and in February regression in size and in height of the epithelium takes place. The ventral prostate glands become inactive before the other four pairs of prostate glands. After a period of quiescence, the accessory sexual glands prepare for the next breeding season. There is a definite cycle in the size of the interstitial cells. From June there is a steady increase to August and October when the cells reach their maximum size and are in the fully active secretory condition. They gradually decrease in size to reach their minimum size in April. This inactive condition persists to June when a steady growth for the next breeding season begins; the most rapid growth takes place at the end of July.

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