Abstract

HERNANDEZ-HENAO, William J.; RODRIGUEZ-PULIDO, José A.  and  ASTWOOD-ROMERO, Jorge A.. The macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of the urogenital system of the Savannah side-necked turtle Podocnemis vogli Muller, 1935 (Testudines Pelomedusidae). Orinoquia [online]. 2013, vol.17, n.1, pp.120-133. ISSN 0121-3709.

This article describes the macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of the Podocnemis vogli (Testudines Pelomedusidae) Savannah side-necked turtle's urogenital system. Ten clinically healthy adult examples (five male and five females) were used for such purpose; they came from the Ocarros zoological bio-park near Villavicencio, in the Meta department. The animals were sacrificed with 31.4 mg/Kg pentobarbital sodium they were dissected and the different organs'morpho metricrelation ships were established. Samples were taken from the organs and placed in buffered formalin for histological analysis. Metanephric kidneys were identified, having numerous glomeruli converging via urethra to the cloacal bags; both structures were coated in a simple cuboidal epithelium. The oviducts had striations with out the presence of spermathecas, or widening like the uterus. The hemipene had 5 sections and a urethral groove forming aspermatic sack. The macro and microscopic findings were similar to those found in reptiles and the small differences could have been related to the species' biological characteristics.

Keywords : Turtle; Savannah side-necked turtle Podocnemis vogli; anatomy; histology; urogenital system.

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