This paper is the first report of unilateral cryptorchidism in an adult wildlife ocelot, captured in Parque Estadual do Rio Doce. Cage traps were used to capture the animal, using bovine offal as bait. The animal was anesthetized with anesthetic darts and kept under anesthesia through a combination of ketamine and xylazine. The andrologycal examination showed that the left testicle was located subcutaneously near the inguinal region. In this case of unilateral cryptorchidism, the testis was soft and had a volume of 2.57mL, while the contralateral testis had a firm consistency and volume of 11.50mL. The length of the region occupied by the penile spikes was similar to other breeding animals. Cryptorchidism is an inherited condition linked to low genetic variability previously reported in consanguineous wild cats. Due to the increasing isolation of wild population in forest fragments, this finding is concerning because it can be indicative of inbreeding in wild ocelot populations.
Leopadus pardalis; cryptorchidism; forest fragmentation; inbreeding
