European Journal of Anatomy

Official Journal of The Spanish Society of Anatomy
Cover Volume 16 - Number 2
Eur J Anat, 16 (2): 113-118 (2012)

Macrometric study of the digestive system of the African giant rat (Cricetomys gambianus,Waterhouse 1840)

J.O. Nzalak, B.I. Onyeanusi, S.O. Salami

Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

ABSTRACT Forty African giant rats (AGRs), (Cricetomys gambianus) were used for the macrometric study. The rats were sacrificed according to the method of Adeyemo and Oke (1990) and the various segments of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and the digestive glands of each of the rats were weighed and measured. The large intestine was observed to have the highest mean weight (19.98 } 0.39 g) followed by the stomach (19.47 } 0.26 g) and then the small intestine (17.19 } 0.30S g), respectively. Of all the digestive glands, the liver was found to have the highest mean weight (21.29 } 0.43 g). The small intestine was observed to be the longest (109.17 } 28.68 cm) followed by the large intestine (75.57 } 1.78 cm). Out of all the intestinal segments (small and large), the jejunum was observed to be the longest (72.26 } 2.39 cm) followed by the colon (57.30 } 1.58 cm).

Keywords: Macrometric, Digestive system, African Giant Rat (Cricetomys gambianus-Waterhouse, 1840)

European Journal of anatomy
ISSN 2340-311X (Online)