Galliform Anatomy Basics

Key Points

  • The comb, wattles, and ear lobes of the chicken and the snood of turkeys are examples of accessory cutaneous structures of the head, which are common in order Galliformes.
  • The males of many gallinaceous species also possess spurs on the caudiomedial surface of the tarsometatarsus. Spurs contains an osseous core and are covered by hard, keratinized epidermis.
  • Most galliforms possess a well-developed crop for food storage as well as a well-developed ventriculus or gizzard.
  • Gallinaceous birds also possess well-developed intestinal type ceca.
  • Galliforms have a non-protrusible phallus, and the presence of this structure is one of characteristics used to sex day-old chicks.

Order Galliformes is a large, diverse taxonomic group with a worldwide distribution. More than 250 species have a chicken-like appearance and short, rounded wings. LafeberVet has listed twelve interesting and clinically significant facts about galliform anatomy and physiology including important vocabulary terms . . .


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References

Butcher GD. Management of gallformes. In: Harrison GJ, Lightfoot TL (eds). Clinical Avian Medicine. 2006; Palm Beach, FL: Spix Publishing. Pp. 862-865.

Drew ML. Galliformes (Pheasants, Grouse, Quail, Turkeys, Chacalacas, Currasows, Hotazins). In:  Fowler ME, Miller RE (eds). Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, 5th ed. 2003; St. Louis: Saunders. P. 162.

Dyce KM, Sack WO, Wensing CJG. Textbook of Veterinary Anatomy, 4th ed. 2010; St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier. Pp. 784-813.

Fitch WT. Acoustic exaggeration of size in birds via tracheal elongation: comparative and theoretical analyses. J Zool. 1999; 248 (1): 31-48. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb01020.x.

Gerlach H. Galliformes. In: Altman R, Clubb SL, Dorrestein GM, Quesenberry K (eds). Avian Medicine and Surgery. 1997; Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders. P. 944.

Howard, L. Galliformes. Animal Diversity Web. December 03, 2012. Available at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Galliformes/. Accessed on December 3, 2012.

King AS, McLelland J. Birds:  Their Structure and Function. London: Academic Press; 1981. Pp. 92-93. Available at https://wildbirdvet.com/2019/07/29/birds-their-structure-function/. Accessed August 2, 2023.

Klasing KC. Comparative Avian Nutrition. 1998. New York: CAB International.

Nash D. Ridiculous super-elongate, coiled windpipes allow some birds to function like trombones—or is it violins. Teptrapod Zoology. Apr 9, 2009. Available at http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2009/04/29/elongate-avian-trachea/. Accessed on Dec 3, 2012.

Schales C, Schales K. Galliformes. In: Ritchie BW, Harrison GJ, Harrison LR (eds). Avian Medicine: Principles and Application. 1994; Lake Worth, FL: Wingers Publishing. Pp. 1218-1223.

To cite this page:

Pollock C. Galliform anatomy: A dozen key facts. December 1, 2012. LafeberVet Web site. Available at https://lafeber.com/vet/galliform-anatomy-a-dozen-key-facts/