Morfometria e Histologia das Gônadas de Machos e Fêmeas Recém Eclodidos de Podocnemis expansa e Podocnemis unifilis (Testudines, Podocnemididae).

MALVASIO, A.; NASCIMENTO-ROCHA, J.M.; SANTOS, H.D.; ATAÍDES, A.G.; PORTELINHA, T.C.G.

ACTA SCIENTIARUM

EDUEM

Año: 2009

1415-6814

Considering the importance of the histological technique to sexing turtles and the few studies directed to this technique, was proposed in this study characterize morphometrically and histologically the gonads of P. expansa and P. unifilis and compare these results with the incubation temperature of the eggs. All specimens used in this study were collected in beaches from Javaés River, around the Araguaia National Park in Tocantins State, North of Brazil. In the nests were installed automatic temperature recorders. After the eclosion, the animals were sacrificed immediately and the gonads were collected for routine histological procedure. We analyzed 187 samples of P. expansa and 98 of P. unifilis. No significant differences were found in the microscopic sexing between these species. The criteria used for diagnosis were mainly microscopic morphology of the gonads, the presence of the appendix in the remaining oviduct, the morphology of the oviduct and the characteristics of the cells lining the follicles and seminiferous tubules. Regarding temperature, it was found that those higher predominated females in P. expansa and in the lower temperatures, males in P. unifilis. We verified that the differences between the gonads length were not significant. However, the differences were significant for the width of the ovaries and testicles.