Summer 2009 - Perth Zoo

12
Perth Zoo’s Puggles
Perth Zoo has had another successful year of echidna
breeding with the birth of two puggles in August.
Moa, meaning ‘three’, and Kain, meaning ‘one’, are the
fourth and fifth puggles bred since 2007. Moa is the third
offspring for female Kiltah and male Wilgi, while Kain is the
first for female Elyan and male Wilki.
Perth Zoo Australian Fauna supervisor Arthur Ferguson
says both puggles are developing very well under the care
of their mothers in the nursery burrows and are expected
to emerge in February.
Only 13 echidnas have been born in captivity in Australia
and Perth Zoo is proud to have produced five of them.
Echidnas have typically been difficult to breed in captivity
but Perth Zoo’s investigation of their breeding habits has
led to a greater understanding of echidna reproduction.
Research indicates that temperature plays an important
role in many stages of the breeding cycles, from
producing the egg and incubating it, to keeping the
puggle safe and developing well in the burrow.
It is very difficult to determine the sex of young echidnas
and so Perth Zoo has approached Dr Frank Grützner, an
Australian Research Council Research Fellow and geneticist
from the University of Adelaide, for his assistance.
newspaw s | Summer 2009/10
Using a small hair sample from three of the echidnas born
at the Zoo (Jilba, born 2007, and Mila and Chindi, born
2008), it is hoped Dr Grützner will be able to determine
their sex.
Dr Grützner investigates the amazingly complex sex
chromosomes of platypuses and echidnas. Dr Grützner’s
research team has identified DNA that occurs only in male
echidnas. Very sensitive genetic tests will be carried out
on Jilba, Mila and Chindi’s DNA in the hair samples to see
if they carry the male-specific DNA.
Moa and Kain must wait until they are eight months old
before they can be sexed using this technique.
Determining the sex of the Zoo-born echidnas will help
Perth Zoo decide who is to be paired with whom in the
breeding season to come. Perth Zoo hopes to produce a
second generation of captive born echidnas, something
that has never been achieved previously. Perth Zoo staff
are eagerly awaiting Dr Grützner’s results but until then
they are enjoying watching the two new puggles grow.
You can see Short-beaked Echidnas in their Australian
Bushwalk exhibit, which
is proudly sponsored by
Termimesh System.
Would you like to m ake a contribution to conservation?
YES! I wish to m ake a donation to Wildlife Conservation Action
Please find enclosed my donation of (please tick): $100 $50 $30 $20 Other $
I wish to pay by:
Credit card – please fill in details below or call (08) 9474 0350
Cheque/money order – make payable to Perth Zoo’s Wildlife Conservation Action
Credit card details: Visa Mastercard Bankcard AMEX
Card No __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ Expiry Date
Name on card Signature
Address Suburb Postcode
Telephone
Please tick if you require a receipt
Email
All donations of $2 or more are tax deductible within Australia.
Return this coupon with your donation to:
Perth Zoo, PO Box 489, South Perth WA 6951
Photo: Daniel Scarparolo