A descriptive morphometric approach to the skull in Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) of Egypt

Abstract

Craniofacial anatomy is essential to understand the locative relationships of organs in specific region of each species. This study was aimed to investigate morphometric parameters of the skull of the Red fox of Egypt. Thirteen skulls of about 2.5-4 years-old male Red fox were carefully processed using standard method. Altogether, 29 different osteometric measurements including 7 different indices were estimated. The average total length and width of the skull in the Red fox were 17.64 ± 2.68 cm and 8.73 ± 1.76 cm, respectively, with cephalic index of 49.27 ± 3.42. The cranial length of the Red fox’s skull was about two-fold of its width, with cranial capacity of 49.54 ± 3.75 cc, as well as cranial and basal indices were 49.87 ± 3.96 and 30.97 ± 2.33, respectively. The foramen magnum width was higher than its height, with foramen magnum index of 71.52 ± 3.86. The cranial length of the Red fox’s skull was higher than the facial length, with facial index of 62.70 ± 4.01. The orbital length was higher than the orbital width, and the interorbital distance was wider caudally and narrower in the middle, with orbital capacity and orbital index of 9.34 ± 0.17 cc and 97.87 ± 5.22, respectively. In conclusion, measured osteometric parameters of the Red fox’s skull will provide baseline anatomy information on the skull morphometry, which is necessary for comparative anatomy and clinical veterinary practice. The findings reported here will assist other clinical studies conducting on the Red fox’s head.