SEASONAL-CHANGES IN TESTICULAR FUNCTION AND SEMINAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MALE EASTERN SPOTTED SKUNK (SPILOGALE-PUTORIUS-AMBARVILUS)

Seasonal changes in testicular physiology were studied in seven captiv e, male eastern spotted skunks (Spilogale putorius ambarvilus) that we re maintained on a natural photoperiod for 1 year in 1991. Electro-eja culation resulted in successful fluid collection in 34 of 61 attempts (56%), and 28 (85%) of these samples contained sperm. Increasing serum concentrations of testosterone were observed from early March through late April, and the lowest concentrations occurred in mid-December. T estis size increased from January through March, and testes regressed in August and September. Mean volume of ejaculate was 19.2 +/- 4.7 mul (n = 61), number of sperm was 12.1 +/- 0.31 x 10(6) sperm/ejaculate ( n = 33), motility was 68 +/- 4% (n = 28), and 64.3 +/- 1.7% of the spe rm were morphologically normal (n = 25). Serum testosterone was highly correlated with testis size, but none of the semen characteristics wa s found to be correlated with either serum testosterone or testis size (P > 0.05). The results suggest that the potential for interbreeding between this species and the western spotted skunk (Spilogale gracilis ) is low.