Currently in Brazil the creation of reptiles as pets has grown and chelonians are part
of this class in evidence. The Yellow-spotted River Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis), a
common chelonium in the rivers and lakes of the north and central-west region, is
very consumed by the population. In order to reduce the impacts of illegal fishing, its
commercial creation in tanks is legalized, but due to the agglomeration of animals
and inadequate environment these animals are commonly affected by dermatological
problems, being important the knowledge of the morphology of the skin to assist in
the treatment of these animals . This work describes the characteristics of the skin
and the attachments of eight Yellow-spotted River Turtle being four young males and
four adult females that were studied in macro and microscopic form through light
microscopy and scanning electron. Macroscopic results showed differences between
females and males. Microscopically, the skin showed highly keratinized rigid
structures in both sexes. The integument had two layers: the epidermis and the
dermis, the first consisting of a stratified keratinized epithelium, divided into three
strata - basal stratum, granular stratum and stratum corneum. The basal stratum was
formed by layers of cuboidal cells with predominance of keratinocytes; in the granular
stratum the keratinocytes were smaller and the stratum corneum, the outermost
layer, varied in thickness between the analyzed regions, appearing larger in the
palmar, plantar and corneal beak regions. The dermis was divided into papillary
layer, rich in fibroblasts, collagen fibers, melanocytes and blood vessels. The
macroscopic description assists in the identification and genre of the species
reflecting in its preservation while the microscopic description of the structures that
make up the skin increase the knowledge for future dermatological treatments.
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