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Abstract
Disposition and external morphology of hair on a female of the species otter Lutra longicaudis. (Olfers, 1818, Carnivora, Mustelidae). The aim of this study was to analyze aspects of the otter’s hair (Lutra longicaudis). Size, shape and number of hairs, as well as their layers and distribution on the skin were observed. To accomplish this purpose, 1mm2 of skin with its respective hair was removed from 44 points of the body surface and was examined under a stereoscopic microscope in order to be measured, counted and morphologically analyzed. The results were registered in histograms and schematic drawings and compared to the descriptions for other species. The covering hair reached a maximum height of 18mm and a minimum of 3.5mm, while wholly hair showed a maximum height of 11mm and a minimum of 1.5mm. The cuticle flake hairs of the covering coat modified, along the connecting rod according to its bore, shape, number and architecture. The cortex was thick in the portion where the covering coat took the form of a flattened spindle. The wholly coat was practically constituted by the cortex. The results obtained in this study suggest that the otter has a complex fur, different to the other animals. This is probably due mainly to its semi-aquatic habit.Downloads
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Copyright (c) 2007 Maria de Fátima de Souza, Antônio Chaves de Assis Neto, Maria Angelica Miglino, Luciana Relly Bertolini, Carlos Eduardo Ambrósio, Arani Nanci Bonfim Mariana
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