Morphological features of the lingual papillae in Egyptian water buffalo (bubalus bubalus)

Morphology and distribution of the lingual papillae of water buffalo was investigated using light and scanning electron microscope. The caudal part of the tongue had a rounded prominence (torus linguae), in front of which deep fossa (fossa linguae). Although, the buffalo' tongue carried a variety of papillae ; filiform, conical, lentiform, fungiform and vallate the foliate papillae were not observed. The filiform papillae were distributed all over the dorsum of tongue, the lateral border and the marginal part of the ventral surface of tongue. The conical and lentiform papillae were restricted to the torus linguae. The fungiform papillae were distributed all over the dorsum and the lateral borders of the tongue. There were two types of fungiform papillae ; pigmented type which was restricted to the apex linguae and none pigmented one, restricted to the periphery of the tongue. The vallate papillae were arranged in 2 : 3 rows. Their number ranged from 18 : 24 on each side.