Anatomical Description of Loggerhead Turtle (<i>Caretta caretta</i>) and Green Iguana (<i>Iguana iguana</i>) Skull by Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography Reconstruction and Maximum Intensity Projection Images
Jose Raduan Jaber Mohamad,
Eligia González-Rodríguez,
Alberto Arencibia,
Soraya Déniz,
Conrado Carrascosa,
Mario Encinoso
Affiliations
Jose Raduan Jaber Mohamad
Department of Morphology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Trasmontaña, Arucas, 35413 Las Palmas, Spain
Eligia González-Rodríguez
Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Trasmontaña, Arucas, 35413 Las Palmas, Spain
Alberto Arencibia
Department of Morphology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Trasmontaña, Arucas, 35413 Las Palmas, Spain
Soraya Déniz
Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Trasmontaña, Arucas, 35413 Las Palmas, Spain
Conrado Carrascosa
Department of Morphology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Trasmontaña, Arucas, 35413 Las Palmas, Spain
Mario Encinoso
Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Trasmontaña, Arucas, 35413 Las Palmas, Spain
The growing interest in reptiles has posed a challenge to veterinary clinicians due to the lack of a standardized system to perform anatomical studies similar to those used for dogs and cats. In this paper, we have attempted to describe, employing computed tomography and subsequent three-dimensional reconstructions, the normal anatomical features that comprise the skulls of two species of reptiles: the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and the green iguana (Iguana iguana). Computed tomography (CT) and subsequent image processing allowed the identification of the bony structures that comprise the head of these species. As a result, and based on previous articles, we propose the most significant anatomical differences and similarities between these species.
