Morfologia das papilas linguais de canídeos do cerrado, Cerdocyon thous e Chrysocyon brachyurus (Carnivora: Canidae)

Abstract

This study describe morphological aspects, macroscopics and microscopics, of lingual papillae of Cerdocyon thous and Chryscocyon brachyurus. On total were utilized twelve specimens male and adults, six of each specie. This specimens were processed by the routine methods of anatomic analysis macroscopic, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In both species the tongue is long and thin on the rostral part, thicke caudally and with great mobility. The dorse is marked by a median groove, that divides the tongue in two lateral halves. The size and shape of tongue varies in different species. The lingual epithelium has varying degrees of keratinization, covering the lingual papillae and the surface between them. The lingual papillae have mechanic function, as the filiform and conical papillae and taste function, as the fungiform and vallate papillae. The taste buds are located on the surface of the taste papillae and are usually presented as a grow of epithelium cells pear shaped. Generally can be identified five types of lingual papillae, depending on the specie analyzed.