ANATOMICAL PARTICULARITIES OF THE MAMMARY GLAND OF THE FEMALE GRASSCUTTER (THRYONOMYS SWINDERIANUS, TEMMINCK, 1782)

Gualbert Simon Nteme Ella; François Ntsama; Serge Aoussi; Serge Bakou; Guy Apollinaire Mensah

doi:10.29121/granthaalayah.v13.i12.2025.6503

Authors

Gualbert Simon Nteme Ella Department of Anatomy-Histology-Embryology, Inter-State School of Veterinary Sciences and Medicine (EISMV) of Dakar, Senegal
François Ntsama Institute for Public Law Studies (IEDP), Jean Monnet Faculty of the University of Paris-Saclay https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8620-6360
Serge Aoussi Department of Biology and Animal Production-Nangui University Abrogoua. 02 BP: 801 Abidjan 02 Côte d’Ivoire.
Serge Bakou Department of Biology and Animal Production-Nangui University Abrogoua. 02 BP: 801 Abidjan 02 Côte d’Ivoire.
Guy Apollinaire Mensah Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Benin – CRA-Agonkanmey 01 884 Recette principale, Cotonou 01 Benin.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v13.i12.2025.6503

Keywords:

Grasscuter (Thryonomys Swinderianus), Mammary Gland, Topography, Conformation, Reproductive Characteristics

Abstract [English]

The objective of this study was to characterize the mammary apparatus of the female grasscutter (also known as the aulacode), Thryonomys swinderianus (Temminck, 1782), through a topographical description of the mammary anatomy of five adult, farm-raised females with an average live weight of 3.5 kg. Examination of the mammary gland revealed anatomical features that are broadly comparable to those observed in other rodent species and even in lagomorphs; however, several specific features were observed in this species. The mammary chain consists of three pairs of mammae distributed along the pectoral, thoracic, and abdominal regions. The mammary papillae are relatively short but noticeably broader than those of commonly described domestic rodents. Subcutaneously, the three mammary glands on each side are fused into a thick band of mammary parenchyma extending longitudinally from the pectoral to the inguinal region. This structural configuration represents a distinctive characteristic of the species when compared with domestic rodents and lagomorphs that exhibit similar litter sizes. The biomorphometric features described here are likely to influence maternal behaviour in captive female grasscutters and should support improved anatomophysiological management of reproduction in this characteristically African rodent.

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