Computed tomography and cross-sectional anatomy of the head in the white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris)

• Grant number: 24/23155-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Bruno Cesar Schimming
• Grantee: Isadora Luisa Dantas de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

There are reports in the literature that trauma resulting from roadkill is common in wild animals. In addition, there are studies that demonstrate that fractures in head bones are common in roadkill animals. Due to the proximity of the white-eared opossum to urban areas, reduction of natural predators and easy adaptation to the urban environment, home invasions, roadkills and attacks by dogs are increasingly common and, consequently, the number of cares for these traumatized animals in veterinary centers specialized in wild animals has increased. Thus, this project aims to describe the anatomy of the head of the white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris) through tomographic studies compared with anatomical sections. For this purpose, four cadavers of white-eared opossums will be used and the cadavers will be donated from the Center for Wildlife Medicine and Research (CEMPAS), School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, UNESP, Botucatu. The tomographic analysis will be performed in the bone and soft tissue windows at the Imaging Diagnostic Service, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, UNESP. The tomographic findings will be analyzed and compared with the anatomical sections to identify the anatomical structures found in the head region of the white-eared opossum, since anatomical knowledge of the head is of fundamental importance during clinical veterinary care.