Borges Salgueiro De Simone

Ontogeny of the Shell Bones of Embryos of Podocnemis unifilis (Troschel, 1848) (Testudines, Podocnemididae)

The aim of the present study was to investigate the sequence of shell bone formation in the embryos of the Pleurodira, Podocnemis unifilis. Their bones and cartilage were collected and cleared before staining. The shell was also examined by obtaining a series of histological slices. All the bony elements of the plastron have independent ossification centers, which subsequently join together and retain two fontanelles until the period of hatching. This turtle has a mesoplastra, which is characteristic of the Podocnemididae. The carapace begins to form concurrently with the ossification of the ribs at the beginning of stage 20. All the plates, except the suprapygal, initiate ossification during the embryonic period. The main purpose of the histological investigation was to highlight the relationship between the formation of the carapace and ribs with that of the neural plates. The costal and neural plates were found not to independent ossification centers, but to be closely related to components of the endoskeleton, originating as expansions of the perichondral collar of the ribs and the neural arches, respectively. Considering the ribs as an endoskeletal element of the carapace, the carapace and plastron begin ossification at the same stage in P. unifilis. This pattern reveals similarities with other Pleurodira, as well as evident variations, such as the presence of the seven neural bones and the presence of only one ossification center in the nuchal plate. Anat Rec, 2011.

Anatomical and Topographical Description of the Digestive System of Caiman crocodilus (Linnaeus 1758), Melanosuchus niger (Spix 1825) and Paleosuchus palpebrosus (Cuvier 1807)

Mediante comparaciones anatomicas y topograficas describimos el sistema digestivo de C. crocodillus, M. nigeri y P. palpebrosus. Se utilizaron dos sistemas digestivos de C. crocodillus, uno de M. nigeri y uno de P. palpebrosus, fijados en formalina al 10% y pertenecientes al laboratorio de ensenanza e investigacion de fauna silvestre (LAPAS) de la Universidade Federal de Uberlândia. En primera instancia se realizo la descripcion del sistema digestivo de las mencionadas especies, seguido de comparaciones topograficas. Luego, fueron tomados registros fotograficos con camara DSC H20 SONY. Adicional a esto, nos apoyamos con radiografias del tracto gastrointestinal y fotografias del sistema digestivo de C. crocodillus antes de ser fijados en formalina. Los resultados demuestraron que el sistema digestivo de estas tres especies de caimanes esta constituido por una boca grande, faringe corta, esofago alargado y rectilineo, estomago dilatado con relacion a las otras partes del tracto digestivo, pancreas alojado entre las dos primeras curvaturas duodenales ventrales, intestino delgado plegado, intestino grueso con un diametro mayor en relacion a los segmentos anteriores y una cloaca donde tambien terminan los sistemas urinarios y reproductor. La descripcion anatomica y topografica del sistema digestivo de C. crocodillus, M. niger y P. palpebrosus puede ser extrapolada para otros cocodrilos por la semejanza comportamental interespecies e intraespecificas.

Skeletogenesis of the pelvic girdle and pelvic members in embryos of Caiman yacare (Crocodylia: Alligatoridae)

Caiman yacare embryos were collected and subjected to the bone cleared and Alizarin staining to analyze the ontogenic patterns of the skeletal ossification of the pelvic girdle and members. Ossification of C. yacare pelvis begins at 36 days of incubation. The femur, tibia and fibula present simultaneous stain retention at 30 days. It has four tarsal bones, the calcaneus, the talus, distal III and distal IV. Their ossification starts with the calcaneus from the 40th day of incubation, followed by the talus. At 54 days, the distal tarsal IV is conspicuous, as is the outline of the distal III. Each foot has five metatarsi (MT) and 13 phalanges (phalangeal formula 2:3:4:4). Ossification of the metatarsi begins at 36 days and follows the sequence MTI=MTII=MTIII=MTIV>MTV. The first phalanges begin the ossification process on the 36th day and continue up to the last day of incubation. The sequence of ossification of the proximal phalanges is PPI=PPII=PPIII>PPIV, while that of the medial phalanges is MPII> MPpIII>MDpIII>MPpIV>MDpIV and that of the distal phalanges is DPI>DPII>DPIII>DPIV, and the ontogenic pattern of the bones of the pelvic girdle and members of C. yacare differs from that of other reptiles, albeit with a few similarities. Key words: Alizarin, morphology, ossification, pantanal caiman, reptiles.

Utilização de Placas de polipropileno e fios de náilon na técnica de fixação espinhal segmentar modificada em uma jibóia

An adult exemplar of Boa constrictor with a history of overthrowing was send to the Veterinary Hospital. Clinical and radiographic examinations identified the presence of a dislocation in the third middle of the spine. The patient was submitted to a surgical correction of the lesion, which evaluated the effectiveness of a variation of the modified technique of segmental spinal fixation. The segment was stabilized by fixing plastic plates in the form of hemicerclage in the vertebral bodies, with nylon n.0, and tissue synthesis completed the procedure. Postoperatively, it was instituted antibiotic therapy, daily curatives and space restrictions until the complete healing of the wound. The variation of the technique has proved to be safe and effective for the snake of this study, promoting the realignment and stabilization of the anatomical vertebral segment.