A biometric analysis of the eye globe and its components from Nellore cattle was carried out in 121 normal eye globes obtained from slaughtered animals aged two to three years at the city of Itaperuna-RJ, Brazil. Twenty macroscopic measurements were made in each globe and its structures. The globes showed optical axis averaging 33.27 ± 1.55 mm, equatorial diameter of 38.07 ± 1.70 mm and an estimated volume of 24.07 ± 3.51 mL. There was a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.723, p <0.0001) between the optical axis and the equatorial diameter of the eye globe in this breed. The cornea of Nellore animals showed vertical and horizontal axes comparatively smaller than European breeds described in literature, but the proportion between the height and width of the cornea remained similar. The lens also presented smaller dimensions compared to European animals. This study provides useful data for future clinical investigations of ocular abnormalities in Nellore cattle as well as for research in comparative anatomy.
Nellore cattle; ocular biometry; veterinary anatomy