Morphological and Radiological Studies on the Skull of the Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus Niloticus).

Background and Aim: Present study provides with more anatomical information on the structure and form of the bones forming the cranium of the Nile crocodile helps in understanding the interpretation of X ray images and surgical affection of the crocodile heads. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted on six heads of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus). The heads were removed from their bodies and prepared by hot water maceration technique. The bones of the skull were studied separately and identified by using a specific acrylic color for each bone. Results: The cranium of the crocodile composed of the cranial bones and the facial bones. The crocodile had four paired paranasal sinuses; the antorbital, the vomerine bullar, the pterygopalatine bullar and the pterygoid sinuses. The mandible of crocodile formed from six fused bones (articular, angular, suprangular, coronoid, splenial and dentary). The X ray images were applied for identifying the paranasal sinuses which their contribution to the morphological organization of the head. Conclusion: this results show a bony variation between the crocodile, mammals and also the birds that paves the way to the comparative anatomical and radiological studies.