Assisted breeding technology in the saltwater crocodile Crocodylus porosus: a review and look to the future.

This review reports the current status of artificial breeding technology in the Crocodylia and the future requirements for the establishment of AI in the saltwater crocodile. Although there are challenges regarding safe restraint and immobilisation, semen collection of the saltwater crocodile by manual stimulation has proven effective in yielding sufficient volume and sperm concentrations for empirical and molecular analyses of sperm preservation and physiology. Nevertheless, there is still much to learn with respect to fundamental anatomy, physiology and behaviour in both sexes, but particularlyin the female. Althoughlessons canbe learned from successful AI inthe alligator, the details of this researcharenot readily accessible. Future research needs to focus on the proximate factors of seasonality and the underlying control of the female's annual reproductive cycle; thiswill require novel and innovativeways tocollect blood sampleswithout causing stress or injury, and ideally a dedicated crocodile research breedingcolony. Because the saltwater crocodile is a farmed species, there is likely to be sufficient impetus for the application of assisted breeding technology to drive future productivity in the industry. These developmentswill also have benefits for the genetic and reproductivemanagement of endangered captive populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]