Surface morphology of hair of cattle and Philippine carabao as seen under scanning electron microscope

The surface morphology of hairs from the head, thorax, forelimb, abdomen, inguinal region and tail of adult Philippine carabao and cattle of both sexes were examined under the scanning electron microscope. Carabao hairs exhibited smaller and more irregularly arranged surface cuticles than those of cattle. Hair cuticles from the cattle were arranged in an oblique manner, while those of the carabaos, transversely oriented. The morphological differences of the cuticular pattern of hairs from the different regions in both animals were slight. Based on the present observation, the cuticular pattern of ha1047irs of carabao and cattle observed under the scanning electron microscope could be used for the identification of carabao and cattle for forensic examinations. Scanning electron microscopy is a simple, reliable and time conserving proced