•  
  •  
 

Keywords

Reproductive anatomy, frog, Wolffian duct, seminal vesicle

Abstract

I investigated the microanatomy of the distal urogenital system of the male Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) from a small sample (n = 6) collected in northern Arkansas in February 2020. Specifically, my primary objectives were as follows: 1) to focus on the histology of the paired Wolffian (urogenital) ducts caudally from the kidneys to their merging with the urodeum of the cloaca, 2) to reveal the structure of the paired seminal vesicles (sperm storage structures), and 3) to compare epithelial morphologies between the distal urogenital tract and its neighboring distal alimentary tract. This information will promote a clearer understanding of this anatomical region for a North American ranid species and allow for comparisons to be made with other ranid frogs worldwide.

Download

Share

COinS