Study of Axial Skeleton in the Nesterov’s Desert Monitor, Varanus nesterovi

Variety in the anatomy of reptiles indicates the emergence of multiple solutions to biomechanical problems and reflects different evolutionary pressures to create different body shapes. So far, no study has been done on the skeleton of Varanus in Iran; Varanus nesterovi is one of the three species of Varanus in Iran, which was introduced in ۲۰۱۵ from the western regions of the Zagros Mountains on the border of Iran and Iraq. In this study, V. nesterovi specimens from the Zoological Museum of Razi University of Kermanshah were used. To examine the skeleton, two methods had been used: A) removing skeletal components and photographing them B) using CT-scan method. The axial skeleton includes the skull, spine, and ribs. Skull V. nesterovi consists of ۴۰ bones fragments and ۴۶ pleurodont teeth, including ۲۹ vertebrae of this species including the proximal vertebrae and ۷۲ caudal vertebrae. Varanus has nine cervical vertebrae, with relatively small protrusions on the lateral surface of vertebrae four and five. The sixth and seventh vertebrae each have short ribs. The ribs attached to the eighth and ninth vertebrae extend to near the sternum. The trunk ribs of V. nesterovi consist of three true ribs connected to the first to third thoracic vertebrae, ۱۱ floating ribs connected to the vertebrae ۱۳ to ۲۳, and five short abdominal ribs connected to the vertebrae ۲۴ to ۲۸. The last nut before the sacral vertebrae has no ribs.

کلیدواژه ها:

Monitor lizards ، bone ، vertebra ، skull