The anatomy of the female reproductive tract of the springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis).

The anatomy of the female reproductive tract of the springbok is described, using material of 25 ewes collected at the S.A. Lombard Nature Reserve and 300 ewes collected at the De Beers farm Benfontein. No difference in the length of left and right fallopian tubes (104 +/- 24 mm) was observed, and from the funnel to the isthmus it narrows considerably from 15 mm to 1,25 mm. A distinct flexure is formed by the utero-tubal juncture. A complete ovarian bursa with a ventral orifice occurs. The reproductive tract increases in mass from 9.2 g in infants to 38,0 g in adults. The right uterine horn of the bicornuate tract is consistently longer. Caruncles are more numerous in the right (60,2 +/- 9,37) than the left (45,8 +/- 10,18) uterine horn. The intricate cervical lumen consisting of four to six valves in non-pregnant ewes becomes a simple S-shaped canal with advanced pregnancy.