Morphology of the female genital organs from muçua (Kinosternon scorpioides

Abstract

With the aim to study and describe the anatomy, the topography and possible anatomic variations of the female genital organs of the mud turtle Kinosternon scorpiedes, ten adult animals were used for such purpose. The animals were sacrificed by an overdose (3ml) of sodium pentobarbital 2,5%. After the sacrifice, the coelom cavity has been opened and with the aid of a magnifying glass the parts were dissected and photographed. The results did shown that the genital organs of Kinosternon scorpiedes female are formed by a pair of ovaries and one pair of oviducts. The ovaries showed up as being constitued by follicles in different stages of development sustained by a mesovary ligament. The oviducts were divided into five segments, infundibulum, magnum, isthmus, uterus and vagina, fixed by a mesoviduct that begins next to the ovaries and goes to insent itself into the cloaca, this last one being common to the urogenital and digestive systems. These findings allowed the conclusion that this species of mud turtle female genital organs display a bilateral way of function, similar  to that of the birds left oviduct.