Estudo morfológico dos dentes do puma concolor

Abstract

The Puma concolor is a feline that lives solitary and has day and night habits. Classified as a species threatened with extinction in Brazil since 2014, the decline of the species could cause numerous changes to the ecosystem. This study seeks to identify the species' dental arch, as any problem in the oral cavity can lead to behavioral changes, systemic dysfunctions and compromising the animal's health. The study described the position and structure of the teeth in the dental arch, and to carry out macroscopic analyzes of the teeth, incisions were made in the skin, removing the facial muscles for exposure and for better clarity of photodocumentation. The teeth were extracted using surgical instruments. The identified dental formula was 2X (I 3/3, C 1/1, PM 3/2, M 1/1) = 30 teeth in the permanent dentition. It was observed that the second molar of the Puma concolor is located more medially compared to the domestic cat, although the anatomy of domestic and wild felines is similar. This study aims to compare some information with existing data, contributing to knowledge about the dental morphology of this species and providing material for future research.