Male reproductive physiology of neotropical felids

The Felidae family is composed of 43 species, all of which — except for the domestic cat — face extinction threats in the wild, not only due to poaching and loss of habitat but also to reproductive challenges such as endogamy. To overcome such obstacles, assisted reproduction technologies (ART) have been employed to improve the species' reproductive success. However, the knowledge on wild cats' reproductive physiology is limited, with their domestic relative often being employed as a model organism. The present report is a comprehensive review on the sperm physiology of Neotropical felids, performing a vertical analysis of the data available on spermatic parameters such as ejaculates volumes and concentrations, seminiferous epithelium cycles duration, spermatic efficiency, and prevalence of morphological defects as well as discusses the role of hormonal control of spermatogenesis and its influence on teratospermia. The objective of the present report was to assemble information that would deepen our knowledge of male reproductive physiology and anatomy in Neotropical felids, and also to contrast it with the domestic cat.