Topography and syntopy of abdominopelvic viscera of the giant anteater (Myrmecophage tridactyla - Linnaeus, 1758)

Abstract

Topography and syntopy of abdominopelvic viscera of the giant anteater (Myrmecophage tridactyla -Linnaeus, 1758)  [Topografia e sintopia das vísceras abdominopélvicas do tamanduá-bandeira (Myrmecophage tridactyla -Linnaeus, 1758)] ABSTRACTIn view of the scarcity of data about the topography and syntopy of abdominopelvic viscera of the giant anteater (Myrmecophage tridactyla -Linnaeus, 1758), the present study aimed to elucidate these characteristics and to compare them with the other animal species, especially the domestic ones. Three specimens, two males and one female, were donated by the Environmental Military Police of Franca to the Anatomy Veterinary Laboratory of the University of Franca, after death by road killings. The animals were fixed and maintained in aqueous 10% formaldehyde solution, followed by conventional dissection of the abdominopelvic cavities for subsequent direct inspection and topographic description of the viscera, aiming at comparative analyzes with other species, whose positioning and particularities are already established in the literature. It was observed that most of the viscera of these cavities have similar location and syntopy to domestic animals, except for the kidneys and testicles. In view of the established methodology and the results obtained, it is accepted that more specimens of anteater, both genera, should be evaluated and registered scientifically to confirm the data of the current research and anatomical preconization of the abdominopelvic cavity, inasmuch anatomical individual variation are possible between animals of the same species. RESUMODiante da escassez de dados sobre a topografia e a sintopia das vísceras abdominopélvicas do tamanduá-bandeira (Myrmecophage tridactyla -Linnaeus, 1758), o presente estudo teve como objetivo elucidar essas características e compará-las com as demais espécies animais, mormente as domésticas. Utilizaram-se três espécimes, dois machos e uma fêmea, provenientes de doação da Polícia Militar Ambiental de Franca ao Laboratório de Anatomia Veterinária da Universidade de Franca, após óbitos por atropelamentos. Os animais foram fixados e mantidos em solução aquosa de formaldeído a 10%, seguidos de dissecação convencional das cavidades abdominopélvicas para posterior inspeção direta e descrição topográfica das vísceras, visando a análises comparativas com outras espécies, cujo posicionamento e cujas particularidades já são bem estabelecidos na literatura. Observou-se que a maioria das vísceras dessas cavidades possuem localização e sintopia similares aos animais domésticos, exceto os rins e os testículos. Diante da metodologia estabelecida e dos resultados obtidos, admite-se que mais espécimes de tamanduás-bandeiras, de ambos os gêneros, devam ser avaliados e registrados cientificamente, visando à confirmação dos dados da atual pesquisa e à preconização anatômica da cavidade abdominopélvica, visto que variações anatômicas individuais são passíveis entre animais da mesma espécie. Palavras-chave: anatomia animal, cavidade abdominopélvica, ...

Computed tomography and anatomy of the abdominal structures in the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)

“…The giant anteater liver was lobuled. The lobulation, location and syntopy of the liver and of the gallbladder were similar to those reported in a macroscopic study by Oliveira et al (2019) in this Neotropical xenarthra.…”

“…The ovaries presented an oval shape similar to the morphological anatomical description in the lesser anteater by Rossi et al (2011). According to Oliveira et al (2019), the giant anteater ovary is small in size, with a regular surface and flat shape, adjacent to the kidneys. In an ultrasound study, it was not possible to detect ovaries in any of the females (Albuquerque, 2017).…”

“…Anatomical studies of the abdomen of the giant anteater, using ultrasound (Lopes et al, 2015) and macroscopy (Oliveira et al, 2019) have been described. Moreover, the anatomical structures in the head region of the giant anteater using CT were performed (Farha et al, 2021).…”