Aspectos morfológicos da mão e pé de Procyon cancrivorus

Abstract

Procyon cancrivorus is an animal that belongs to the Phylum Chordata, Class Mammalia, Order Carnivora and Family Procyonidae, have five toes on each paw, are plantigrade, and how your hands are mobile have the ability to dig, and they are great climbers. The aim of this study was to describe the morphology of the hand and foot of Procyon cancrivorus, correlating with domestic carnivores dog and cat. For this purpose, we used three males and adults, collected in highway (killed by accident) and fixed in 10% aqueous solution of formaldehyde. The muscles and tendons of the hand and foot were dissected, the results were recorded with camera and compared with data from scientific literature. From the results, similarities were observed with the anatomy of the insertion of tendons and muscles of the carpals, tarsals and digits in relation to dog and cat. Although their morphology is directly related to livestock, P. cancrivorus not have a pattern of movement similar to these animals. This difference, based on literature, probably due to the fact that P. cancrivorus submit a plantigrade posture locomotion, probably related to their eating habits and dexterity, while dog and cat have a locomotor posture digitigrade.