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Bearded Dragon Gross Anatomy
This dissection is of a juvenile dragon that died due to impaction in late 2003. An owner brought this dragon to me long after the damage was done. Problems with the cloaca were noticed by the owner approximately one month prior to getting help. Even after warm baths to loosen the blockage, there was really nothing that could be done. The dragon passed away within 12 hours of being brought to me. I preserved the dragon until I was able to do the autopsy. I found that the intestine was filled with crushed walnut substrate and one worm was found in the abdominal cavity.
Pogona vitticeps
Dissection and photos by Kristin King
July 11, 2005
 Juvenile specimen Death:2003 |
 Dorsal view |
 Juvenile specimen Side view |
 Lab table |
 Ventral view |
 Ventral view |
 Ventral view |
 Ventral view part of skin pinned back exposing the intestine |
 Ventral view Opening the ventral cavity |
 Ventral view Notice there is no rib cage but rather a cartilaginous rib plate protecting the vital organs in the thoracic region. |
 Chest cavity |
 Ventral view Internal organs exposed |
 Ventral view
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 Ventral view Lungs lifted by probe |
 Ventral view |
 Thoracic cavity Rib plate held back exposing the liver and heart superior to the other visceral organs, with heart inferior to liver. |
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 Esophagus Heart removed |
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 Lungs
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 Lungs and heart |
 Lungs under the stereoscope |
 Lungs under the stereoscope
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 Heart under the stereoscope |
 Heart with liver attached
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 Heart with liver attached
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 Ventral view |
 Ventral view |
 Ventral view |
 Stomach exposed |
 Stomach exposed with intestine stretched out |
 Ventral View Infected cloaca |
 Ventral View Infected cloaca |
 Parasite Worm found in abdominal cavity Image seen under stereoscope |
 Parasite Viewed in petri dish Genus and species not determined |
 Parasite Worm seen on dark surface actual side |
 Intestine Crushed walnut particles fill organ |
 Intestine Notice the crushed walnut substrate totally blocking passage to the cloaca
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 Intestines |
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 Crushed walnut substrate removed from the intestines |
 Hollowed out cloaca region |
 Hollowed out cloaca region |
 Hollowed out cloaca region |
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 Empty abdominal cavity Spinal chord exposed |
 Ventral view of head |
 Ventral view of head |
 Top teeth exposed in roof of mouth |
 Mouth Notice hole inferior to the tongue, this is the esophagus |
 Roof of mouth Nares in roof of mouth, teeth also visible |
 Side view of head Teeth are surrated like a steak knife; also visible: tympanium |
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 Top teeth exposed |
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 Dorsal view Exposing eye socket |
 Dorsal view Skin removed from top of head exposing eye sockets |
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 Side view Lens of eye exposed |
 Side view Lens of eye exposed
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 Eye |
 Eye socket
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 Ventral side Head removed and trachea visible |
 Posterior view of head Spinal chord, gullet and trachea |
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 Brain |
 Brain T-pin next to brain to compare size |
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