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David Crews - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Yolk-albumen testosterone in a lizard with temperature-dependent sex determination: Relation with development
General and Comparative Endocrinology, 2013Co-Authors: V. Huang, Rachel M. Bowden, David CrewsAbstract:The Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) exhibits temperature-dependent sex determination as well as temperature-influenced polymorphisms. Research suggests that in oviparous reptiles with temperaturedependent sex determination, steroid hormones in the yolk might influence sex determination and sexual differentiation. From captive Leopard Geckos that were all from the same incubation temperature regime, we gathered freshly laid eggs, incubated them at one of two female-biased incubation temperatures (26 or 34 C), and measured testosterone content in the yolk-albumen at early or late development. No differences in the concentration of testosterone were detected in eggs from different incubation temperatures. We report testosterone concentrations in the yolk-albumen were higher in eggs of late development than early development at 26 C incubation temperatures, a finding opposite that reported in other TSD reptiles studied to date.
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Constraints on temperature-dependent sex determination in the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius): response to Kratochvil et al.
Naturwissenschaften, 2008Co-Authors: Victoria Huang, Turk Rhen, Jon T. Sakata, Patricia Coomber, Sarah Simmonds, David CrewsAbstract:Kratochvil et al. (Naturwissenschaften 95:209–215, 2008 ) reported recently that in the Leopard Gecko ( Eublepharis macularius ) of the family Eublepharidae with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), clutches in which eggs were incubated at the same temperature produce only same-sex siblings. Interpreting this result in light of studies of sex steroid hormone involvement in sex determination, they suggested that maternally derived yolk steroid hormones could constrain sex-determining mechanisms in TSD reptiles. We have worked extensively with this species and have routinely incubated clutches at constant temperatures. To test the consistency of high frequency same-sex clutches across different incubation temperatures, we examined our records of clutches at the University of Texas at Austin from 1992 to 2001. We observed that clutches in which eggs were incubated at the same incubation temperature produced mixed-sex clutches as well as same-sex clutches. Furthermore, cases in which eggs within a clutch were separated and incubated at different temperatures produced the expected number of mixed-sex clutches. These results suggest that maternal influences on sex determination are secondary relative to incubation temperature effects.
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Effect of incubation temperature and androgens on dopaminergic activity in the Leopard Gecko, Eublepharis macularius.
Developmental Neurobiology, 2007Co-Authors: Brian G. Dias, Ramona Sousan Ataya, David Rushworth, Jun Zhao, David CrewsAbstract:Male Leopard Geckos that hatch from eggs incubated at a female-biased temperature (Tf) behave differently when compared with males hatching at a temperature which produces a male-biased sex ratio (Tm). We investigated the effect of incubation temperature and androgen implantation on aspects of the dopaminergic system of Tf and Tm males. Our data suggest that more dopamine (DA) is stored in the nucleus accumbens of naive Tf males compared with naive Tm males when they encounter a receptive female conspecific across a barrier. No difference was measured in the preoptic area and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). This difference in intracellular DA levels in a motivation-related brain nucleus might be correlated with differences in sociosexual behavior observed between the two morphs. There were no differences in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expressing cell numbers in the VTA of cholesterol (CH)-implanted naive castrated Tf and Tm males. Only Tf males implanted with testosterone had significantly higher TH immunopositive cell numbers in the VTA compared with CH- and dihydrotestosterone-implanted Tf males. These data indicate that both the embryonic environment as well as the circulating hormonal milieu can modulate neurochemistry, which might in turn be a basis for individual variation in behavior. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2007
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Embryonic origin of mate choice in a lizard with temperature-dependent sex determination. Dev Psychobiol 48:29–38
2006Co-Authors: Oliver Putz, David CrewsAbstract:ABSTRACT: Individual differences in the adult sexual behavior of vertebrates are rooted in the fetal environment. In the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius), a species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), hatchling sex ratios differ between incubation temperatures, as does sexuality in same-sex animals. This variation can primarily be ascribed to the temperature having direct organizing actions on the brain. Here we demonstrate that embryonic temperature can affect adult mate choice in the Leopard Gecko. Given the simultaneous choice between two females from different incubation temperatures (30.0 and 34.0C), males from one incubation temperature (30.0C) preferred the female from 34.0C, while males from another incubation temperature (32.5C) preferred the female from 30.0C. We suggest that this difference in mate choice is due to an environmental influence on brain development leading to differential perception of opposite-sex individuals. This previously unrecognized modulator of adult mate choice lends further support to the view that mate choice is best understood in the context of an individual’s entire life-history. Thus, sexual selection results from a combination of the female’s as well as the male’s life history. Female attractiveness and male choice therefor
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Effects of gonadal sex and incubation temperature on the ontogeny of gonadal steroid concentrations and secondary sex structures in Leopard Geckos, Eublepharis macularius.
General and Comparative Endocrinology, 2005Co-Authors: Turk Rhen, Jon T. Sakata, David CrewsAbstract:Incubation temperature during embryonic development determines gonadal sex in the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius). Incubation temperature and gonadal sex jointly inXuence the display of sexual and agonistic behavior in adult Leopard Geckos. These diVerences in adult behavior are organized prior to sexual maturity, and it is plausible that post-natal hormones inXuence neural and behavioral diVerentiation. Here we assessed incubation temperature and sex eVects on sex steroid levels in Leopard Geckos at 2, 10, and 25 weeks of age and monitored the development of male secondary sex structures. Males had signiWcantly higher androgen concentrations at all time points, whereas females had signiWcantly higher 17-estradiol (E2) concentrations only at 10 and 25 weeks. Within males, age but not incubation temperature aVected steroid levels and morphological development. Male androgen levels increased modestly by 10 and dramatically by 25 weeks of age, whereas E2 levels remained unchanged over this period. Most males had signs of hemipenes at 10 weeks of age, and all males had hemipenes and open preanal pores by 25 weeks of age. In females, age and incubation temperature aVected E2 and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) but not T concentrations. Controlling for age, females from 34 °C have higher DHT and lower E2 levels than females from 30 °C. Further, E2 concentrations increased signiWcantly from 2 to 10 weeks, after which E2 levels remained steady. Together, these results indicate that sexually dimorphic levels of steroids play a major role in the development of Leopard Gecko behavior and morphology. Furthermore, these data suggest that the organizational eVects of incubation temperature on adult female phenotype could be, in part, mediated by incubation temperature eVects on steroid hormone levels during juvenile development. 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Matthew K. Vickaryous - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Constitutive cardiomyocyte proliferation in the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius).
Journal of Morphology, 2018Co-Authors: Kathy Jacyniak, Matthew K. VickaryousAbstract:Although the contractile function of the heart is universally conserved, the organ itself varies in structure across species. This variation includes the number of ventricular chambers (one, two, or an incompletely divided chamber), the structure of the myocardial wall (compact or trabeculated), and the proliferative capacity of the resident cardiomyocytes. Whereas zebrafish are capable of comparatively high rates of constitutive cardiomyocyte proliferation, humans and rodents are not. However, for most species, the capacity to generate new cardiomyocytes under homeostatic conditions remains unclear. Here, we investigate cardiomyocyte proliferation in the lizard Eublepharis macularius, the Leopard Gecko. As for other lizards, the Leopard Gecko heart has a partially septated ventricular lumen with a trabeculated myocardial wall. To test our hypothesis that Leopard Gecko cardiomyocytes routinely proliferate, we performed 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation and immunostained for the mitotic marker phosphorylated histone H3 (pHH3) and the DNA synthesis phase (S phase) marker proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Using double immunofluorescence, we co-localized pHH3 or PCNA with the cardiomyocyte marker myosin heavy chain (MHC). We found that ~0.5% of cardiomyocytes were mitotically active (pHH3+/MHC+), while ~10% were in S phase (PCNA+/MHC+). We also determined that cell cycling by Gecko cardiomyocytes is not impacted by caudal autotomy (tail loss), a dramatic form of self-amputation. Finally, we show that populations of cardiac cells are slow cycling. Overall, our findings provide predictive evidence that Geckos may be capable of spontaneous cardiac self-repair and regeneration following a direct injury.
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Evidence for neurogenesis in the medial cortex of the Leopard Gecko, Eublepharis macularius.
Scientific Reports, 2018Co-Authors: Rebecca P. Mcdonald, Matthew K. VickaryousAbstract:Although lizards are often described as having robust neurogenic abilities, only a handful of the more than 6300 species have been explored. Here, we provide the first evidence of homeostatic neurogenesis in the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius). We focused our study on the medial cortex, homologue of the mammalian hippocampal formation. Using immunostaining, we identified proliferating pools of neural stem/progenitor cells within the sulcus septomedialis, the pseudostratified ventricular zone adjacent to the medial cortex. Consistent with their identification as radial glia, these cells expressed SOX2, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and Vimentin, and demonstrated a radial morphology. Using a 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine cell tracking strategy, we determined that neuroblast migration from the ventricular zone to the medial cortex takes ~30-days, and that newly generated neuronal cells survived for at least 140-days. We also found that cell proliferation within the medial cortex was not significantly altered following rupture of the tail spinal cord (as a result of the naturally evolved process of caudal autotomy). We conclude that the sulcus septomedialis of the Leopard Gecko demonstrates all the hallmarks of a neurogenic niche.
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Blood vessel formation during tail regeneration in the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius): The blastema is not avascular.
Journal of Morphology, 2017Co-Authors: Samantha L. Payne, Hanna M. Peacock, Matthew K. VickaryousAbstract:Unique among amniotes, many lizards are able to self-detach (autotomize) their tail and then regenerate a replacement. Tail regeneration involves the formation of a blastema, an accumulation of proliferating cells at the site of autotomy. Over time, cells of the blastema give rise to most of the tissues in the replacement tail. In non-amniotes capable of regenerating (such as urodeles and some teleost fish), the blastema is reported to be essentially avascular until tissue differentiation takes place. For tail regenerating lizards less is known. Here, we investigate neovascularization during tail regeneration in the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius). We demonstrate that the Gecko tail blastema is not an avascular structure. Beginning with the onset of regenerative outgrowth, structurally mature (mural cell supported) blood vessels are found within the blastema. Although the pattern of blood vessel distribution in the regenerate tail differs from that of the original, a hierarchical network is established, with vessels of varying luminal diameters and wall thicknesses. Using immunostaining, we determine that blastema outgrowth and tissue differentiation is characterized by a dynamic interplay between the pro-angiogenic protein vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the anti-angiogenic protein thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1). VEGF-expression is initially widespread, but diminishes as tissues differentiate. In contrast, TSP-1 expression is initially restricted but becomes more abundant as VEGF-expression wanes. We predict that variation in the neovascular response observed between different regeneration-competent species likely relates to the volume of the blastema. J. Morphol. 278:380-389, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Scar-free cutaneous wound healing in the Leopard Gecko, Eublepharis macularius.
Journal of Anatomy, 2015Co-Authors: Hanna Marie Peacock, Emily A. B. Gilbert, Matthew K. VickaryousAbstract:Cutaneous wounds heal with two possible outcomes: scarification or near-perfect integumentary restoration. Whereas scar formation has been intensively investigated, less is known about the tissue-level events characterising wounds that spontaneously heal scar-free, particularly in non-foetal amniotes. Here, a spatiotemporal investigation of scar-free cutaneous wound healing following full-thickness excisional biopsies to the tail and body of Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macularius) is provided. All injuries healed without scarring. Cutaneous repair involves the development of a cell-rich aggregate within the wound bed, similar to scarring wounds. Unlike scar formation, scar-free healing involves a more rapid closure of the wound epithelium, and a delay in blood vessel development and collagen deposition within the wound bed. It was found that, while granulation tissue of scarring wounds is hypervascular, scar-free wound healing conspicuously does not involve a period of exuberant blood vessel formation. In addition, during scar-free wound healing the newly formed blood vessels are typically perivascular cell-supported. Immunohistochemistry revealed widespread expression of both the pro-angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor A and the anti-angiogenic factor thrombospondin-1 within the healing wound. It was found that scar-free wound healing is an intrinsic property of Leopard Gecko integument, and involves a modulation of the cutaneous scar repair program. This proportional revascularisation is an important factor in scar-free wound healing.
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characterization of neural stem progenitor cells in the brain of the Leopard Gecko eublepharis macularius
The FASEB Journal, 2015Co-Authors: Alaina Macdonald, Rebecca Paula Mcdonald, Emily Gilbert, Matthew K. VickaryousAbstract:Endogenous neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) have been identified across vertebrate species. Among adult mammals, NSPCs are spatially restricted to just two neurogenic regions: the subventricula...
Min Kyun Park - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Molecular characterization of two isoforms of ZFAND3 cDNA from the Japanese quail and the Leopard Gecko, and different expression patterns between testis and ovary.
Gene, 2011Co-Authors: Shigeo Otake, Daisuke Endo, Min Kyun ParkAbstract:Zing finger AN1-type domain 3 (ZFAND3), also known as testis expressed sequence 27 (Tex27), is a gene found in the mouse testis, but its physiological function is unknown. We identified the full-length sequences of two isoforms (short and long) of ZFAND3 cDNA from Japanese quail and Leopard Gecko. This is the first cloning of avian and reptilian ZFAND3 cDNA. The two isoforms are generated by alternative polyadenylation in the 3'UTR and have the same ORF sequences encoding identical proteins. There were highly conserved regions in the 3'UTR of the long form near the polyadenylation sites from mammals to amphibians, suggesting that the features for determining the stability of mRNA or translation efficiency differ between isoforms. The deduced amino acid sequence of ZFAND3 has two putative zinc finger domains, an A20-like zinc finger domain at the N-terminal and an AN1-like zinc finger domain at the C-terminal. Sequence analysis revealed an additional exon in the genomic structures of the avian and reptilian ZFAND3 genes which is not present in mammals, amphibians, or fish, and this exon produces additional amino acid residues in the A20-like zinc finger domain. Expression analysis in Japanese quail revealed that the expression level of ZFAND3 mRNA was high in not only the testis but also the ovary, and ZFAND3 mRNA was expressed in both spermatides of the testis and oocytes of the ovary. While the short form mRNA was mainly expressed in the testis, the expression level of the long form mRNA was high in the ovary. These results suggest that ZFAND3 has physiological functions related to germ cell maturation and regulatory mechanisms that differ between the testis and ovary.
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Expression of sex steroid hormone-related genes in the embryo of the Leopard Gecko.
General and Comparative Endocrinology, 2008Co-Authors: Daisuke Endo, Yoh-ichiro Kanaho, Min Kyun ParkAbstract:Sex steroid hormones are known to play a central role in vertebrate sex determination and differentiation. However, the tissues in which they are produced or received during development, especially around the period of sex determination of the gonads, have rarely been investigated. In this study, we identified the cDNA sequence, including the full-length of the coding region of cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc), from the Leopard Gecko; a lizard with temperature-dependent sex determination. Embryonic expression analysis of two steroidogenic enzymes, P450scc and P450 aromatase (P450arom), and four sex steroid hormone receptors, androgen receptor, estrogen receptor α and β, and progesterone receptor, was subsequently conducted. mRNA expression of both steroidogenic enzymes was observed in the brain and gonads prior to the temperature-sensitive period of sex determination. The mRNAs of the four sex steroid hormone receptors were also detected in the brain and gonads at all stages examined. These results suggest the existence of a gonad-independent sex steroid hormone signaling system in the developing Leopard Gecko brain.
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Identification and Expression Analysis of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors cDNA in a Reptile, the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)
Zoological Science, 2008Co-Authors: Keisuke Kato, Yoshitaka Oka, Min Kyun ParkAbstract:Despite the physiological and evolutionary significance of lipid metabolism in amniotes, the molecular mechanisms involved have been unclear in reptiles. To elucidate this, we investigated peroxisome proliferators-activated receptors (PPARs) in the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius). PPARs belong to a nuclear hormone-receptor family mainly involved in lipid metabolism. Although PPARs have been widely studied in mammals, little information about them is yet available from reptiles. We identified in the Leopard Gecko partial cDNA sequences of PPARα and β, and full sequences of two isoforms of PPARγ. This is the first report of reptilian PPARγ mRNA isoforms. We also evaluated the organ distribution of expression of these genes by using RT-PCR and competitive PCR. The expression level of PPARα mRNA was highest in the large intestine, and moderate in the liver and kidney. The expression level of PPARβ mRNA was highest in the kidney and large intestine, and moderate in the liver. Similarly to the expression of human PPARγ isoforms, PPARγa was expressed ubiquitously, whereas the expression of PPARγb was restricted. The highest levels of their expression, however, were observed in the large intestine, rather than in the adipose tissue as in mammals. Taken together, these results showed that the profile of PPARβ mRNA expression in the Leopard Gecko is similar to that in mammals, and that those of PPAR α and γ are species specific. This may reflect adaptation to annual changes in lipid storage due to seasonal food availability.
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Comparative analysis of the pituitary and ovarian GnRH systems in the Leopard Gecko: signaling crosstalk between multiple receptor subtypes in ovarian follicles
Journal of Molecular Endocrinology, 2007Co-Authors: Tadahiro Ikemoto, Min Kyun ParkAbstract:GnRH regulates reproductive functions through interaction with its pituitary receptor in vertebrates. The present study demonstrated that the Leopard Gecko possessed two and three genes for GnRH ligands and receptors, respectively, though one of the three receptor subtypes had long been thought not to exist in reptiles. Each receptor subtype showed a distinct pharmacology. All types of ligands and receptors showed different expression patterns, and were widely expressed both inside and outside the brain. This report also shows a comparison of the pituitary and ovarian GnRH systems in the Leopard Gecko during and after the egg-laying season. All three receptor subtypes were expressed in both the whole pituitary and ovary; however, only one receptor subtype could be detected in the anterior pituitary gland. In situ hybridization showed spatial expression patterns of ovarian receptors, and suggested co-expression of multiple receptor subtypes in granulosa cells of larger follicles. Co-transfection of receptor subtypes showed a distinct pharmacology in COS-7 cells compared with those of single transfections. These results suggest that distinct signaling mechanisms are involved in the pituitary and ovarian GnRH systems. Seasonal and developmental variations in receptor expression in the anterior pituitary gland and ovarian follicles may contribute to the seasonal breeding of this animal.
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Molecular characterization of thyroid hormone receptors from the Leopard Gecko, and their differential expression in the skin.
Zoological Science, 2006Co-Authors: Yoh-ichiro Kanaho, Daisuke Endo, Min Kyun ParkAbstract:Abstract Thyroid hormones (THs) play crucial roles in various developmental and physiological processes in vertebrates, including squamate reptiles. The effect of THs on shedding frequency is interesting in Squamata, since the effects on lizards are quite the reverse of those in snakes: injection of thyroxine increases shedding frequency in lizards, but decreases it in snakes. However, the mechanism underlying this differential effect remains unclear. To facilitate the investigation of the molecular mechanism of the physiological functions of THs in Squamata, their two specific receptor (TRαand β) cDNAs, which are members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily, were cloned from a lizard, the Leopard Gecko, Eublepharis macularius. This is the first molecular cloning of thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) from reptiles. The deduced amino acid sequences showed high identity with those of other species, especially in the C and E/F domains, which are characteristic domains in nuclear hormone receptors. Expres...
M.k. Vickaryous - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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neural stem progenitor cells are activated during tail regeneration in the Leopard Gecko eublepharis macularius
The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 2018Co-Authors: E.a.b. Gilbert, M.k. VickaryousAbstract:As for many lizards, the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) can self-detach its tail to avoid predation and then regenerate a replacement. The replacement tail includes a regenerated spinal cord with a simple morphology: an ependymal layer surrounded by nerve tracts. We hypothesized that cells within the ependymal layer of the original spinal cord include populations of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) that contribute to the regenerated spinal cord. Prior to tail loss, we performed a bromodeoxyuridine pulse-chase experiment and found that a subset of ependymal layer cells (ELCs) were label-retaining after a 140-day chase period. Next, we conducted a detailed spatiotemporal characterization of these cells before, during, and after tail regeneration. Our findings show that SOX2, a hallmark protein of NSPCs, is constitutively expressed by virtually all ELCs before, during, and after regeneration. We also found that during regeneration, ELCs express an expanded panel of NSPC and lineage-restricted progenitor cell markers, including MSI-1, SOX9, and TUJ1. Using electron microscopy, we determined that multiciliated, uniciliated, and biciliated cells are present, although the latter was only observed in regenerated spinal cords. Our results demonstrate that cells within the ependymal layer of the original, regenerating and fully regenerate spinal cord represent a heterogeneous population. These include radial glia comparable to Type E and Type B cells, and a neuronal-like population of cerebrospinal fluid-contacting cells. We propose that spinal cord regeneration in Geckos represents a truncation of the restorative trajectory observed in some urodeles and teleosts, resulting in the formation of a structurally distinct replacement.
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Neural stem/progenitor cells are activated during tail regeneration in the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius).
Journal of Comparative Neurology, 2017Co-Authors: E.a.b. Gilbert, M.k. VickaryousAbstract:As for many lizards, the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) can self-detach its tail to avoid predation and then regenerate a replacement. The replacement tail includes a regenerated spinal cord with a simple morphology: an ependymal layer surrounded by nerve tracts. We hypothesized that cells within the ependymal layer of the original spinal cord include populations of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) that contribute to the regenerated spinal cord. Prior to tail loss, we performed a bromodeoxyuridine pulse-chase experiment and found that a subset of ependymal layer cells (ELCs) were label-retaining after a 140-day chase period. Next, we conducted a detailed spatiotemporal characterization of these cells before, during, and after tail regeneration. Our findings show that SOX2, a hallmark protein of NSPCs, is constitutively expressed by virtually all ELCs before, during, and after regeneration. We also found that during regeneration, ELCs express an expanded panel of NSPC and lineage-restricted progenitor cell markers, including MSI-1, SOX9, and TUJ1. Using electron microscopy, we determined that multiciliated, uniciliated, and biciliated cells are present, although the latter was only observed in regenerated spinal cords. Our results demonstrate that cells within the ependymal layer of the original, regenerating and fully regenerate spinal cord represent a heterogeneous population. These include radial glia comparable to Type E and Type B cells, and a neuronal-like population of cerebrospinal fluid-contacting cells. We propose that spinal cord regeneration in Geckos represents a truncation of the restorative trajectory observed in some urodeles and teleosts, resulting in the formation of a structurally distinct replacement.
Leonardo Della Salda - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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suspect acute bilateral spontaneous ovarian hemorrhage in an adult female Leopard Gecko eublepharis macularius
Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, 2019Co-Authors: Mariarita Romanucci, S.v.p. Defourny, Andrea Boari, Fredric L. Frye, Leonardo Della SaldaAbstract:Abstract An adult female Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) was found dead in its cage with no previous signs of illness. Necropsy findings, characterized by the presence of moderate to abundant clotted blood enclosed within the connective tissue surrounding left and right ovaries, were compatible with an acute, bilateral spontaneous ovarian hemorrhage. This unusual condition has been rarely observed in captive reptiles and is characterized by the sudden rupture of the ovarian arteries with subsequent hemorrhage into the ovary and periovarian connective tissues. Based on scientific literature, this is the first suspect case of this disorder in a Leopard Gecko.
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Suspect acute, bilateral spontaneous ovarian hemorrhage in an adult female Leopard Gecko (Εublepharis macularius)
Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, 2019Co-Authors: Mariarita Romanucci, S.v.p. Defourny, Andrea Boari, Fredric L. Frye, Leonardo Della SaldaAbstract:Abstract An adult female Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) was found dead in its cage with no previous signs of illness. Necropsy findings, characterized by the presence of moderate to abundant clotted blood enclosed within the connective tissue surrounding left and right ovaries, were compatible with an acute, bilateral spontaneous ovarian hemorrhage. This unusual condition has been rarely observed in captive reptiles and is characterized by the sudden rupture of the ovarian arteries with subsequent hemorrhage into the ovary and periovarian connective tissues. Based on scientific literature, this is the first suspect case of this disorder in a Leopard Gecko.