Integrating ultrasonography within the reproductive management of the collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu)

Ultrasound imaging has been used to elucidate certain aspects of the reproductive biology of wild or endangered species. However, to our knowledge, this tool has not been used for reproductive monitoring of the collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu). In this study, real-time ultrasonography was used in 16 collared peccary females to diagnose early pregnancy status and predict gestational age. Based on the detection of an embryo, the earliest pregnancy diagnosis was made on Day 18 after mating, with the mean time needed for diagnosis being 22 days. Overall accuracies on Days 22, 26 and 28 were 56, 93, and 100%, respectively. On Days 26 and 28, all pregnancy and non-pregnancy diagnoses, respectively, were correct. The fetal measurements that best correlated with gestational age were crown-rump-length (CRL) and the length and diameter of the thorax. CRL was considered the most practical measurement because, contrary to thoracic fetometry, it could be determined when the embryo was first detected. Our findings revealed real-time ultrasound scanning to be a very accurate method for early pregnancy diagnosis and prediction of gestational age in the collared peccary. © 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.