Comparative histological studies on the intestinal wall between the prenatal, the postnatal and the adult of the two species of Egyptian bats. Frugivorous Rousettus aegyptiacus and insectivorous Taphozous nudiventris

The present study was planned to find the effect of different feeding habits on the structure of the duodenum and small intestine of adult, prenatal and postnatal of both fructivorous Rousettus aegyptiacus and the insectivorous Taphozous nudiventris using the histological and the histochemical techniques. Histologically, the duodenal wall of R. aegyptiacus and T. nudiventris is composed of the typical layers: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis and serosa, we observed that the mucosa with finger like villi and very sharp apices in prenatal and adult of R. aegyptiacus but compact finger like villi in T. nudiventris. Scattered among the columnar epithelium goblet cells which less numerous in R. aegyptiacus than in T. nudiventris. Brunner’s glands are less numerous also in R. aegyptiacus than in T. nudiventris. In postnatal the mucosa with pyramidal like villi in R. aegyptiacus and finger like villi in T. nudiventris. In ileum the intestinal glands are less numerous in R. aegyptiacus than in T. nudiventris. In prenatal the goblet cells are less developed in R. aegyptiacus and T. nudiventris. The intestinal glands are less developed also in R. aegyptiacus and T. nudiventris but in the postnatal the goblet cells and the intestinal gland are few in number in both R. aegyptiacus and T. nudiventris.