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Morphology of the digestive tract of Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii)
Dissertation (MSc (Anatomy and Physiology))--University of Pretoria, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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University of Pretoria
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613706726146049 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Steyn, Christine |
| author_browse | Steyn, Christine |
| author_facet | Steyn, Christine |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MSc (Anatomy and Physiology))--University of Pretoria, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/100693 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:24.731Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/100693 Morphology of the digestive tract of Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) Steyn, Christine u18094415@tuks.co.za Martina, Crole Saby, Tyla Jade UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Digestive system Discoglandular Myrmecophagous Salivary glands Temminck’s pangolin Xiphisternum Dissertation (MSc (Anatomy and Physiology))--University of Pretoria, 2024. The myrmecophagous Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) is the only pangolin species present in southern Africa. The mandibular salivary glands are extremely well-developed. The elongated tongue is protrusible and forms a ventral U-shaped flexure when housed in a sheath at the base of the neck. The base of the tongue displays muscular attachments to the dorsal surface of the elongated, spatula-shaped xiphisternum which extends into the abdominal cavity. The stomach mucosa is mostly non-glandular, with a well-circumscribed glandular area in the corpus region of the stomach. The pylorus is very muscular. The intestines is more typical of carnivores and the caecum is absent. The liver is well-lobated. The pangolin tongue is reported to extend into the abdominal cavity. However, this study demonstrated that the tongue remains in the oropharyngeal cavity and that the extrinsic tongue muscles are greatly modified to extend into the abdomen. The large salivary glands, together with the specialised sheath of the tongue, would allow for the trapped ingesta to slide off the tongue, be collected into a bolus and swallowed. The circumscribed glandular area in the stomach is a normal finding and should not be confused with ulceration. The discoglandular stomach allows for extended chitin digestion proximally and mechanical digestion distally. Highly lobated livers allows for rearrangement of lobes during maximal spinal flexion which is typical for pangolins that roll into a ball when threatened. The modified tongue muscles and xiphisternum are important considerations in abdominal surgery and for interpreting diagnostic imaging. Agriseta, BC23UP51 – 18.2 Anatomy and Physiology MSc (Anatomy and Physiology) Unrestricted Faculty of Veterinary Science SDG-03: Good health and well-being 2025-02-11T11:25:12Z 2025-02-11T11:25:12Z 2025-03 2024-12 Dissertation * A2025 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/100693 10.25403/UPresearchdata.28381070 en © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Digestive system Discoglandular Myrmecophagous Salivary glands Temminck’s pangolin Xiphisternum Morphology of the digestive tract of Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) |
| title | Morphology of the digestive tract of Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) |
| title_full | Morphology of the digestive tract of Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) |
| title_fullStr | Morphology of the digestive tract of Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Morphology of the digestive tract of Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) |
| title_short | Morphology of the digestive tract of Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) |
| title_sort | morphology of the digestive tract of temminck s pangolin smutsia temminckii |
| topic | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Digestive system Discoglandular Myrmecophagous Salivary glands Temminck’s pangolin Xiphisternum |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/100693 |