Latest news with #JapaneseQuail
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Japanese quail: The bird with weird sperm foam, a post-sex strut and a spot in space history
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. QUICK FACTS Name: Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) Where it lives: Steppes and meadows in Asia, notably China, India, Japan, Korea and Russia. It's also found in Africa and parts of Europe. Some populations are migratory. What it eats: Seeds of grasses, as well as small insects and other invertebrates. Japanese quail are small relatives of chickens and turkeys with one very unusual trait — males produce a unique seminal foam that resembles meringue. The foam is unusual among birds but turkeys produce a similar substance. Japanese quails were bred in captivity as early as the 11th century and were initially kept for their melodic songs. But they were later exploited for their meat and eggs. The tiny birds, which weigh between 3.5 and 10.5 ounces (100 and 300 grams), reach sexual maturity by around 6 weeks and females are prolific egg layers, producing between 250 and 300 per year. Because of this, they're also very popular for scientific research. And in 1990, they became the first birds to be incubated and hatched in space. Scientists first noticed Japanese quails had unusual foamy semen in the 1950s, and it has been the subject of research ever since. Their unique seminal foam is produced during mating by the proctodeal gland in the cloaca — the cavity containing both the excretory and reproductive organs — and is thought to enhance the chances of successful fertilization of a female's egg. The foam joins seminal fluid and the sperm itself upon ejaculation. Its bubbly consistency is created by contractions of the muscles in the cloaca that amplify the effects of gases released by microorganisms in the cavity. RELATED STORIES —Southern cassowary: The giant prehistoric bird with dinosaur feet—Great eared nightjar: The 'baby dragon' bird that lays its eggs on the floor—Dracula parrot: The goth bird whose piercing screams echo through New Guinea forests The foam is believed to help sperm cells mature after they enter the female reproductive tract, where they are stored for 8 to 11 days before fertilization occurs. It may also enhance the motility of the sperm and protect it from bacteria. After a successful insemination, males do a little strut.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Scientists develop DNA test to curb illegal trade in wild quail
Patna: In a major breakthrough in wildlife forensics, a team of Indian scientists has developed a foolproof method for distinguishing between the Common Quail and the Japanese Quail, two bird species so similar that even trained ornithologists often struggle to tell them apart. The joint study was carried out by Rana Pratap Singh of the Central University of South Bihar (CUSB), Gaya; K V H Sastry of the National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru and Prateek Dey of the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore. Published in the prestigious scientific journal MDPI Birds, the study offers wildlife officials a powerful new tool to combat the illegal trade in wild Common Quail, frequently misrepresented as legally farmed Japanese Quail. The research was supported by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change. The team developed a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique targeting a specific gene in the birds' DNA. Explaining the technique, team leader Rana Pratap Singh said, "What makes our method particularly powerful is its simplicity and reliability. Wildlife officials with basic laboratory facilities can now definitively identify these species within hours, rather than relying on uncertain morphological characteristics." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo The method works by detecting a unique site in the COX1 gene of the Common Quail that is absent in the Japanese Quail. When the DNA is treated with a specific enzyme called BsaBI, it produces distinct fragments, generating different banding patterns for each species when visualised on a gel, Singh said. The illegal trade of wild Common Quail has long been a problem in India. While Japanese Quail farming is legal, the hunting of wild Common Quail is prohibited. The Indian govt had earlier banned Japanese Quail farming altogether due to the difficulty in distinguishing between the two species, before lifting the ban after further evaluation. Research scholar Prateek Dey said distinguishing the Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix) from the Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) has posed a long-standing challenge for wildlife conservation. "The uncanny similarity between these species facilitated illegal wildlife trade and hampered conservation efforts for years. Our technique provides a practical solution that empowers wildlife managers to regulate the illegal trade effectively," he said. This breakthrough could have major implications for quail conservation across Asia, Europe and Africa. Beyond its immediate use in law enforcement, the study highlights the broader value of molecular techniques in species conservation. Another team member, Sastry, added that the team had initially attempted to use microsatellite markers for species identification but found the PCR-RFLP method to be far more reliable.
