Topographical and Morphological Studies on the African Helmeted Turtle (African Side-Necked T-urtles - Pelomedusa Subrufa) with Special Reference to its Coelomic Cavity

African Side-necked Turtle is a popular pet, used as food in addition to its ecological importance. It lives in freshwater at Sub-Saharan Africa, and in southern Yemen, of family Pelomedusidae which has unusual movements of the head. Five female juvenile African helmeted turtles were anesthetized with Xylazine 1mg/Kg/IM and ketamine 20mg/Kg/IM, after that, they were sacrificed by sodium thiopental at 2.5% in the lethal doses of 60mg/Kg/IV, then opened at the inguinal scute and dissected freshly. The absence the diaphragm leads to nonattendance of the pleural and abdominal cavities which substituted by the presence of ventral coelomic area and dorsal retro-coelomic area divided by the horizontal septum (transverse pleuroperitoneal membrane). Concerning the digestive tract and associated organs; the openings of the pharynx were six openings; paired internal choanal opening and Eustachian tubes openings, single glottis and aditus esophagus. The diameters and length of the small intestine parts differs. The jejunum was long extending from the right coelom to the left coelom. A small cecal bulb was present at the right of the median plane. The liver has five lobes; right medial and lateral, left medial and lateral and middle lobes, also a gall bladder was present. The compact pancreas has head, long body and triangular tail. In the respiratory organs; the lungs were very long covering more than half of the carapace’s length till reached caudally to ovary and the kidneys. Both kidneys were elliptical located at retro coelomic area at the same level in the pelvis region in relation to adrenal gland, ovary, and lung. The juvenile female reproductive system of the turtle consisted of a pair of ovaries, two oviducts, mesovarium and a mesosalpinx. The paired immature Ovaries were elliptical elongated granulated in appearance with yellow coloration.