Microanatomical Observations of Hair Characteristics of Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes), Golden Jackal (Canis Aureus), and Gray Wolf (Canis Lupus): A Comparative Study

In a comparative study of dorsal guard hairs from red fox (Vulpes vulpes), golden jackal (Canis aureus), and gray wolf (Canis lupus) in Turkey, light microscopy revealed that while the morphological features of the medulla and cuticle structures were similar across the three species, there were distinct differences in the medulla structure. The golden jackal had the longest average hair length at 6.66 ± 1.22 cm and the highest medullary index at 0.72 ± 0.52 μm, while the gray wolf had the largest hair root diameter at 136.27 ± 29.25 μm. Significant differences were found among the species in terms of hair length and diameter, medullary diameter and index, and hair root diameter values (P < 0.05).