Biotemas (Sep 2010)
Anatomical description of the leg muscles of Procyon cancrivorus (Cuvier 1798)
Abstract
The Procyon cancrivorus, as well as its entire family, is an endemic species of the Americas. It is widely found throughout the Brazilian territory and it inhabits all biomes, particularly the cerrado. This study used five adult specimens of P. cancrivorus for the characterization of the leg muscles. The animals were collected on roads (i. e. they had been killed by accident). The muscles were dissected, observing their proximal and distal insertions macroscopically, together with their topographic relationships to the arteries and nerves. The muscles studied are considered muscles of the tibia. The cranial tibial muscles, brevis, longus, long digital extensor and lateral extensor digitorum are craniolaterally distinct in the tibia, and the gastrocnemius muscles, lateral flexor of the fingers, popliteus, flexor digitorum, flexor digitorum and medial tibial flow are located in the caudal region of the tibia. The muscles of this group act as flexors and extensors of the hock joint and as flexors and extensors of the digital joints, except the popliteal muscle that acts as a flexor of the knee joint. The muscles studied were compared with their muscles in domestic carnivores, like the dog and cat, and great similarity was found.
