Temperature-dependent inhibition of motility in spermatozoa from different avian species.

This study demonstrates that the pattern of temperature-dependent inhibition of chicken sperm motility at 40 degrees C in vitro, and its release by calcium, is also found in drake spermatozoa and, partially, in turkey spermatozoa. However, no such temperature-dependent inhibition was found in spermatozoa from Japanese quail and Houbara bustard, for which physiological levels of calcium at 40 degrees C had an inhibitory and no effect on sperm motility, respectively. Thus, on the basis of this evidence on the regulation of avian sperm motility in vitro, the hypothesis that oviducal sperm storage tubules might immobilise spermatozoa by providing a calcium-free environment in vivo does not appear to be universally applicable to all species of birds.