depleted first. Fat stores do not usually surround the
organs. Healthy wild pangolins usually have fat scores
of 4 or 5 (i.e. high fat reserves) which appear to be
independent of season. Note any abnormalities in
organ placement, and the amount and appearance of
fluids in the chest or abdomen.
•
•
Bladder and uterus (right) with bladder removed
•
and then remove a core of bone marrow for
formalin fixation.
Remove the pelvis. Find the urinary bladder,
which lies deep in the pelvis. Freeze any urine
present in a sterile container. Sample a small
portion of the bladder wall for histology.
If the animal is a male, remove the entire male
reproductive tract including testis, vs deferens,
accessory glands and penis for formalin fixation
for Prof. Jansen. Prof Jansen to provide samples of
both testis and accessory glands for histology when
reproductive studies are complete. If the animal
is female, remove the entire female reproductive
tract for Prof. Jansen. Prof Jansen to provide Dr Lane
with samples of both ovaries, uterus and vagina for
histology when reproductive studies are complete. If
it is a female, sample the mammary gland for formalin
fixation.
Note the animal’s body condition, as an indication of
the duration of its illness and it’s nutritional status:
note the amount of fat around the heart and kidneys,
and muscle development.
Fat scores are recorded on a sliding scale from 0
to 5, with 0 indicating no fat reserves (and muscle
wastage), while a score of 5 indicates large fat
reserves. Fat is stored subcutaneously and in the
pelvic region, with the pelvic fat reserves usually being
•
Cut through and sample for pathology the
diaphragm, which divides the chest from the
abdomen.
Take a sample of spleen in formalin; one in 100%
ethanol in an Eppendorf tube for Dr Bastos, and a
third sample in a Ziploc bag for freezing.
Locate the free end of the pancreas between
the spleen and the kidney and take a sample
for pathology in formalin. Then, put both
adrenal glands in formalin (or full-thickness
slices in large animals). They are in the fat just
above both kidneys (oval, flat, yellow-orange
organs, about 1\20th the size of the kidney).
Check the thickness of the adrenal cortex for
indications of stress, which is common in recently
translocated or confined animals being fed a
new diet.Next, sample full-thickness slices of
both kidneys including the cortex, medulla
and pelvis; for formalin-fixation; also take a
small portion for Dr Bastos (100% ethanol);
and freeze the remainder in a Ziploc bag. o
Sample for formalin-fixation both the left and
right sides of the liver, and also take a 100 gram
sample of liver for freezing (in a ziploc bag) and
a small sample for Dr Bastos (in 100% ethanol).
In front of heart (in young animals particularly),
sample the thymus which is just in front of the
heart attached to the pericardium and appears
similar to fat but is more pink/red. Skin the back
of the jaw and locate, just underneath the skin,
salivary glands and lymph nodes (if present),
which need to be sampled only on one side.
The salivary glands again appear similar to fat,
though are usually tan and firm. At the very
beginning of the trachea, find and sample from
each side, the firmly attached dark-to-light red
and firm thyroid glands. Carefully dissect out and
sample the xiphisternum.
2017
September
9