~ 1886 ~ Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2017; 5(6): 1886-1888 E-ISSN: 2320-7078 P-ISSN: 2349-6800 JEZS 2017; 5(6): 1886-1888 © 2017 JEZS Received: 13-09-2017 Accepted: 16-10-2017 AR Choudhury Assoc. Prof, Division of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-K, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, (J & K.), India Massarat Khan Prof, Division of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-K, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, (J & K.), India Ajaz Quadir Ph.D. Scholar, Division of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-K, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, (J & K.), India MA Baba Prof. & Head, Division of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-K, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, (J & K.), India MA John Asstt. Prof., Division of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-K, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, (J & K.), India FA Dar Asstt. Prof., Division of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-K, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, (J & K.), India A Rafiq Asstt. Prof., Division of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-K, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, (J & K.), India FD Sheikh Asstt. Prof. Deptt. of Animal Genetics and Breeding Correspondence Ajaz Quadir Ph.D. Scholar, Division of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-K, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, (J & K.), India Comparative gross anatomy of the sixth cervical vertebra in chiru ( Pantholops hodgsoni ) and sheep ( Ovis aries ) AR Choudhury, Massarat Khan, Ajaz Quadir, MA Baba, MA John, FA Dar, A Rafiq and FD Sheikh Abstract The present study was conducted on the sixth cervical vertebra of chiru and sheep in Kashmir division of state Jammu and Kashmir from April 2016 to August 2016 to arrive at their comparative gross anatomical differences. The cervical vertebrae were macerated by wet maceration, disarticulated, cleaned and arranged in order for various vertebral regions and the sixth cervical vertebra was removed from the specimen. Six cervical vertebrae (sixth) of adult sheep were also utilized for the present study. The morphological features which include body, processes and neural arch and various biometrical observations of the sixth cervical vertebra of chiru were studied, and compared with the same characteristics and parameters of the same vertebrae of sheep. This vertebra of chiru presented a short body, prominent supraspinous and bifid transverse processes and two well-developed lateral notches on posterior aspect of dorsal arch, that differentiate it from sixth cervical vertebra of sheep. The body of the sixth cervical vertebra of chiru was relatively longer (3.8cm) than that of sheep (3.4±0.05cm). The dorsoventral diameter at the anterior and posterior extremity of body of chiru was 2.3 cm and 2.5 cm while as transverse diameter of same was 1.5 cm and 2.3 cm respectively. In case of sheep, the dorsoventral diameter at the anterior and posterior extremity of body was 1.28±0.030cm and 2.05±0.02 cm while as transverse diameter in the same manner was 1.20±0.007 cm and 1.79±0.007 cm respectively in the present study, the biometrical parameters revealed that the values were generally higher in chiru as compared to sheep. Keywords: Biometry, chiru, sheep, sixth cervical vertebra 1. Introduction The Tibetan antelopes alias chiru still follow their traditional routes to Aksai-Chin area in small numbers in the eastern Ladakh [1, 2] but are vulnerable to hunting specifically by the para military forces present in the region [3] . The chiru is listed threatened with extinction in the IUCN Red Data List [4] . The species inhabits an area of approximately 1,600 km across the Tibetan Plateau with its eastern limit near Ngoring Hu (China) and the western limit in Ladakh, India [5] . The endangered chiru a small ruminant of the family bovidae, whose fine wool is used to weave the prized Shahtoosh shawl [6] , is protected by Wild Life Act of Jammu and Kashmir and India under schedule I of the act [7] . Further chiru being a highly priced animal, poachers do hunt this animal. This morphometrical study was conducted to compare the sixth cervical vertebra of chiru with that of sheep, which could prove a basic tool to arrive at the identification of carcasses in various vetrolegal cases as presented to Wild Life Department. 2. Materials And Methods The study was conducted in the division of veterinary anatomy and histology of faculty of veterinary sciences and animal husbandary Shuhama Ganderbal SKUAST-K. A cervical region of adult chiru was provided by the Division of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Shere Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir. The cervical vertebrae were macerated by wet maceration, disarticulated, cleaned and arranged in order for various vertebral regions and the sixth cervical vertebra was removed from the specimen. Six cervical vertebrae (sixth) of adult sheep were also utilized for the present study. Osteological characteristics of sixth cervical vertebra of chiru were recorded and compared with same vertebrae of sheep. The data collected from different parts and regions of these vertebrae was