Anatomy of the nasal cavity of nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus, Linnaeus, 1758)

Abstract

Nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) stands out for its adaptability in different environments, a fact that requires the species, an olfactory capacity developed with a keen sense and related organs potentially evolved. Five specimens of nine banded armadillo were submitted to anatomic dissection with occipital disconnection and isolation of part of the skull in order to obtain a hemi-skull to view the arrangement of internal structures of the nasal cavity. The obtained specimens were identified and photographed with the assist of digital camera. The nine-banded armadillo nose is incorporated into the face of the skeleton located in nasal plan with the triangular shape and facing forward. The nostrils are separated by the nasal septum. Paranasal sinuses, two (frontal and parietal), resemble diverticula of the nasal cavity. The nine-banded armadillo nasal shells are presented divided into three: the ethmoid shell, the dorsal nasal shell and the ventral nasal shell. The shells are delimited dorsal and ventral nasal meatus by. The respiratory system of nine-banded armadillo presented features anatomical that justify their behavior in the nature, as their olfactory ability for hunting. Thus, the development of the nasal shell, especially, ethmoid shells check the animal facility in the searching for subterranean food.

Keywords

• Armadillo
• Nasal Cavity
• Nose
• Nasal shells