GROSS ANATOMICAL STUDIES ON THE CRANIUM OF BARRED JUNGLE OWLET (Glaucidium radiatum malabaricum)

Abstract

Present study was conducted with the aim to understand the morphological features of skull of barred jungle owlet.The head of the owletwascollected from the specimen brought for post-mortem, processed and morphological studies were conducted . Frontal bones were the largest and were convex and smooth.Temporal fossae were deep. Characteristic feature of the skull was that the bony orbits were located anteriorly, relatively large and were incomplete anteriorly. The supraorbital process was narrow, triangular and pointed.Thisprocess may prevent the rotation of sclerotic tube and fix its position which might be the reason why owlets cannot move their eye ball freely. The frontonasal hinge joint helped in the mobility of upper beak and anterior to this joint, the nasal bones presented adeep depression in the midline. Occipital bone showed well-developedexternal occipital protuberance and a vertically grooved occipital condylewhich helped the birds to swivel its head and neck. The ex-occipital and basi-occipital bones were broad. The foramen magnum was situated basally and ventrally. This assistedthe upright posture of the head in this species