Abstract
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the surface tubercles of a specialized mechanoreceptor found within the head of Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri indicates that the tubercle consists of a craterlike structure with a peg emerging from its center. After removal of the outer keratinized layers of the epidermis, the SEM discloses a replicate tubercle on the underlying alpha keratin layer. Over 6000 tubercles were found within a single snake. The mechanoreceptors were more densely concentrated on anterior scales, and their number appears to be species specific so that they are more concentrated in snakes with smaller heads than in those with larger ones.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 59-67 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journal of Morphology |
Volume | 163 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1980 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Animal Science and Zoology
- Developmental Biology