Gross osteomorphometrical study of ossa coxarum of the leopard (Panthera pardus)

Abstract

Aim: The leopard (Panthera pardus) is a widespread species in India. It is protected by the national law as well as by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES, listed in Appendix I). However, illegal trade of leopard's bones continues to threaten its survival in the wild. Literature regarding the ossa coxarum of leopards is very rare. Hence, the present study on gross osteomorphometrical study of the ossa coxarum of 4 adult leopards was performed. Materials and Methods: Gross morphological and morphometric study was carried out on the ossa coxarum of 4 adult leopards. Bones under study were the part of specimen collection of Centre for Wildlife Forensic and Health and also from the protected areas like Kanha tiger Reserve and Van Vihar National Park. The weight, length of os-coaxe, length of cranial, length of caudal border and length of dorsal border of os-coxae was measured and ratio of the ilium length to the ischium length was also determined. Results: Ossa-coxarum consists of two os-coxae bones i.e. left and right. Each os-coxae consists of three large flat bones viz. ilium, ischium, and pubis. In the leopard, the conjugate diameter (At the pelvic inlet, the length between the body of the sacrum and the cranial end of the pubic symphysis) of pelvis was 7.10 ± 0.10 cm and transverse diameter was 5.27± 0.04 cm. The length of cranial border, caudal border, and dorsal border was 9.10 ± 0.15 cm, 7.35 ± 0.13 cm and 5.15 ± 0.10 cm, respectively. The measurements were from 4 adult leopards indicating average value. Conclusion: The gross morphological and morphometric parameter is established. This data will be useful to compare anatomical diversities among the same group. © The authors.