Comparative anatomical description of the thoracic limb muscles of Puma concolor, Leopardus wiedii and Leopardus pardalis

Felines are excellent hunters, with robust muscles and limbs that allow them to make great leaps. This study aims to provide comparative morphological information on three species of feline, Puma concolor , Leopardus pardalis and Leopardus wiedii . We used one specimen of each species from the Bauxite Mine area in the city of Paragominas - Pará, all of which died of natural causes or were run over. The animals were fixed in a 10% aqueous formaldehyde solution and then dissected to reveal the muscle groups of the thoracic limb. In general, the species analyzed had the same muscles, with similar origins and insertions, but with some differences observed between them and between the species in the literature consulted. The main difference observed between the animals in our study was the junction between the M. flexor carpi ulnaris - humeral head and the M. flexor digitorum superficialis in Puma concolor , which was only observed in this species. With our study, we hope to help expand knowledge of the myology of these species, as well as contributing to surgical procedures and research into comparative anatomy between wild animals.