Morphometry and craniometry of Blue-winged parrotlet (Forpus xanthopterygius)

Abstract

The Craniometric and Prosoprometric study is of great value to establish data that may become a key to identification of the species. Morphometric and descriptive data of psittacine skulls are scarce in the literature. The present study aimed to describe the main bones and to establish measures of the skull of "Blue-winged parrotlet" (Forpus xanthopterygius). Two heads of adult specimens, one male and one female, were donated by the Paraíba Wild Animals Triage Center (CETAS - PB). These were subjected to maceration and to the identification, characterization and measurement of structures and component bones of their respective skulls. Although the natural process of fusing the bones made it difficult to identify the bones, it was possible to identify the frontal, square, jugal, maxillary and mandible bones. These bones are characteristic and easily identified, serving as a basis for locating and identifying others. The maximum length of the skull was 29.0 mm and the width of 16.0 mm. The data obtained serve as a basis for the taxonomic characterization of the species, since no data are found in the literature.