Original Research

Technique for the collection of clear urine from the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)

Jan G. Myburgh, Fritz W. Huchzermeyer, John T. Soley, Dirk G. Booyse, Herman B. Groenewald, Lizette C. Bekker, Taisen Iguchi, Louis J. Guillette
Journal of the South African Veterinary Association | Vol 83, No 1 | a8 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jsava.v83i1.8 | © 2012 Jan G. Myburgh, Fritz W. Huchzermeyer, John T. Soley, Dirk G. Booyse, Herman B. Groenewald, Lizette C. Bekker, Taisen Iguchi, Louis J. Guillette | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 06 March 2012 | Published: 03 July 2012

About the author(s)

Jan G. Myburgh, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Fritz W. Huchzermeyer, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
John T. Soley, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Dirk G. Booyse, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Herman B. Groenewald, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Lizette C. Bekker, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Taisen Iguchi, Department of Bio-Environmental Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Japan
Louis J. Guillette, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

Urine samples can be a very useful diagnostic tool for the evaluation of animal health. In this article, a simple technique to collect urine from the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) was described, based on a similar unpublished technique developed for the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) using a canine urinary catheter. With this technique, it was possible to collect relatively clean urine samples from Nile crocodiles of different sizes using canine urinary catheters or small diameter stomach tubes. Based on the gross anatomical features of the cloaca of the Nile crocodile, it was confirmed that urine accumulates in a chamber consisting of the urodeum and coprodeum. Faecal material is stored temporarily in the very short rectum, which is separated from the urinary chamber by the rectocoprodeal sphincter.

Keywords

coprodeum; Crocodylus niloticus; Nile crocodile; proctodeum; urinary catheter; urinary chamber; urodeum

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