Anatomy of the Female Koala Reproductive Tract

Sara Pagliarani; Chiara Palmieri; Michael McGowan; Frank Carrick; Jackson Boyd; Stephen D Johnston

doi:10.3390/biology12111445

Anatomy of the Female Koala Reproductive Tract

Biology (Basel). 2023 Nov 17;12(11):1445. doi: 10.3390/biology12111445.

Authors

Sara Pagliarani^{1

2}, Chiara Palmieri², Michael McGowan², Frank Carrick^{3

4}, Jackson Boyd^{2

3}, Stephen D Johnston^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Ontario Veterinary College, The University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
² School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton 4343, Australia.
³ School of Environment, The University of Queensland, Gatton 4343, Australia.
⁴ Sustainable Minerals Institute, Koala Study Program, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.

Abstract

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), while being an iconic Australian marsupial, has recently been listed as endangered. To establish an improved understanding of normal reproductive anatomy, this paper brings together unpublished research which has approached the topic from two perspectives: (1) the establishment of an artificial insemination program, and (2) the definition of Chlamydia spp.-derived histopathological changes of the female koala urogenital system. Based on the presentation and histological processing of over 70 opportunistic specimens, recovered from wildlife hospitals in Southeast Queensland (Australia), we describe the gross and microanatomy of the koala ovary, oviduct, uteri, vaginal complex, and urogenital sinus during the interestrous, proliferative, and luteal phases of the reproductive cycle.

Keywords: anatomy; estrous cycle; koala; ovary; reproductive tract.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by a Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation donation and the Annandale Bequest, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland.