Structural features of the axial skeleton of the Asian (white-tailed) porcupine Hestrux levicura

The purpose of the study is to study the structural features of the axial skeleton in an Asian (white-tailed) porcupine at the age of 12 years. The studies were carried out at the Department of Animal Anatomy, Histology, Physiology and Pathological Anatomy of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. For the manufacture of the skeleton of the body of a porcupine, a biological method of processing the material and the method of conventional preparation were used. The skull of a porcupine has an elongated shape and is divided into brain and facial sections. The facial section is well developed, its length is 59.8% of the length of the brain. The axial skeleton is subdivided into the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and caudal regions. Seven cervical vertebrae are noted, their length is 94 mm, occupying 17.1% of the length of the body. The spinous processes in the caudal direction gradually increase, reaching a maximum height at the seventh cervical vertebra. The thoracic region consists of 15 thoracic vertebrae and ribs that form the chest. Their length is 223 mm, occupying 42.4% of the length of the body. The short lumbar region consists of two lumbar vertebrae. Their length is 54 mm, which occupies 9.8% of the length of the body. The sacrum consists of four early fused sacral vertebrae, 85 mm long, which is 15.1% of the length of the body. The first three spinous processes of the sacrum fuse into the middle sacral crest, and the last is isolated. The tail section consists of 13 tail vertebrae, has a length of 144 mm, occupying 26.2% of the length of the body. The vertebral bodies are short, cubic in shape, the spinous processes are high, double-edged. Articular processes remain from 7 to 9, and only transverse processes remain on the last three caudal vertebrae. Throughout its length, the transverse processes are long and wide. Hemal arches and processes are absent.