Origem, ramificação e distribuição da artéria celíaca no tucano-de-bico-verde (Ramphastos dicolorus Linnaeus, 1766)

Abstract

The green-billed toucan (Ramphastos dicolorus) is a bird found in American tropical forests and belongs to the Order Piciformes, Family Ramphastidae. The aim of this paper is to describe the origin, ramification and distribution of the celiac artery in the green-billed toucan. Three specimens from the Scientific and Cultural Breeding of Poços de Caldas, MG (IBAMA, 2.31.94-00006), donated after death by natural causes, were analyzed. The birds had the right ischiadic artery cannulated for injection of colored latex, and after fixation in 10% formalin solution were dissected. The celiac artery was originated from the descending portion of aorta, giving as the first collateral branch the pro-ventricular dorsal artery. This gave esophageal branches and continued as dorsal gastric artery, with tortuous appearance, ending in anastomosis with the right gastric artery. After a short track, the celiac artery formed two collateral branches, the right and the left. The left branch soon ramified itself to form the ventral pro-ventricular artery with its esophageal branches, left gastric artery, that gave rise to the left hepatic artery, and finally the gastroduodenal artery, which emitted the ventral gastric and duodenal arteries. The right branch of the celiac artery emitted the lienal and right hepatic arteries, continuing as pancreatic-duodenal artery. This gave the dorsal pyloric artery, two right gastric arteries, several duodenal, pancreatic branches and the duodenal-jejunal artery. Thus, the celiac artery in the three specimens of green-billed toucan showed an arrangement resembling that described both in domestic and wild birds.