Light and scanning electron microscopy analysis of hair samples of some wild animals for individual identification

Abstract

Hair samples from Four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis), Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), Hog deer (Axis porcinus), Spotted deer (Axis axis) and Sambar deer (Rusa unicolor and Indian mouse deer (Moschiola indica) were collected for light and scanning electron microscopy analysis. The medullary index of hair samples for each animals were calculated by using a light microscope and the results were 0.84± 0.01, 0.75±0.02, 0.84±0.02, 0.79±0.02, 0.65±0.02, 0.77±0.01 respectively. Under the scanning electron microscope the respective mean interscale distance of hair samples were 16.21 ±1.16 µm, 12.85±1.4 µm, 14.05±0.79 µm, 9.07±0.3 µm, 11.21±0.54 µm, and 10.97±0.46 µm. These parameters were important for individual species identification.