A study of the genital organs of the female dromedary (Camelus dromedarius)

Camels (416 pregnant, 118 non-involuted post partum and 730 non-pregnant) were examined post mortem. Large follicles (greater than 10 mm), small follicles (5-10 mm) and non-functional ovaries were observed in 144 (20.7%), 127 (18.3%) and 424 (61.0%) respectively out of 695 normal non-pregnant organs. Season did not exert any significant influence on the frequency of these groups. Recently formed and regressing CL after sterile mating were occasionally seen. Corpora albicantia (3-15 mm) were the most frequent structures observed in non-pregnant organs of parous camels as well as in pregnant tracts, together with the CL of pregnancy: 17% of ovaries contained more than one luteal structure. Pregnancy was easily recognized as early as 40-45 days of gestation because of the marked swelling of the left uterine horn in which 99.52% of the pregnancies were located.