Artificial induction of superfetation in the European hare ()

Roland Kozdrowski (1) , Michał Dzięcioł (1) , Ewa Stańczyk (1) , Małgorzata Ochota (1) , Piotr Sławuta (2) , Marta Jolanta Siemieniuch (3)

1 Department of Reproduction and Clinic of Farm Animals
2 Department of Internal Diseases with Clinic of Horses, Dogs and Cats Diseases
3 Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Reproductive Immunology

The aim of this study was to induce superfetation in hares. On day 37 or 39 of pregnancy, female hares were treated with GnRH analogue and artificially inseminated with fresh semen. Ultrasonographic examination showed that pregnant females had follicles on the ovary on 37 days of pregnancy. After a few days from insemination performed during pregnancy, all females gave birth to healthy young, and one of the females inseminated on day 37 of pregnancy gave birth to two healthy young 42 days after insemination performed during pregnancy (39 days post first delivery). The same female in the next year gave birth to two healthy young 43 days after second insemination that was performed on the day 37 during pregnancy. The obtained results confirm that superfetation is possible to occur in hares.

Mots clés: Lagomorpha; Artificial insemination; Superfetation; Pregnancy; GnRH

Roland Kozdrowski, Michał Dzięcioł, Ewa Stańczyk, Małgorzata Ochota, Piotr Sławuta, et al.. Artificial induction of superfetation in the European hare (). European Journal of Wildlife Research, 2010, 57 (2), pp.333-336. ⟨10.1007/s10344-010-0435-4⟩. ⟨hal-00624465⟩