Development of puberty in Large White boars in a humid tropical environment.

The development of puberty in Large White boars raised and maintained in a humid tropical environment was studied histologically and by a preputial smear technique. The growth curves for the testes, epididymides and body weight were similar and exhibited a spurt between the ages of 150 and 180 days. The accessory sex glands increased slowly but steadily until the animals were about 180 days old at which time a marked increase in their growth rate was noted. Thus from morphological and histological assessment, puberty in these animals was placed between 150 and 180 days. The preputial smear technique was successfully applied in the boar. By this method, the animals were found to be 165.74 days old at puberty and to weigh 51.65 kg. These results further indicate that the development of puberty is genetically controlled and also imply that this could be slightly modified by the environment.