Discovery of Nucho-dorsal Glands in <i>Rhabdophis adleri</i>

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  • MORI Akira
    Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University
  • JONO Teppei
    Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • DING Li
    Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • ZHU Guang-Xiang
    College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University
  • WANG Jichao
    College of Life Science, Hainan Normal University
  • SHI Hai-Tao
    College of Life Science, Hainan Normal University
  • TANG Yezhong
    Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

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  • Discovery of Nucho-dorsal Glands in Rhabdophis adleri

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Abstract

The nuchal and nucho-dorsal glands are unique defensive organs that have been found in only 13 species of Asian natricine snakes. In Rhabdophis such nuchal glands have been described in nine species, whereas the absence of the glands has been also reported in a few species, including R. adleri. We reexamined the absence/presence of the nuchal glands of R. adleri by dissection of two freshly dead individuals and a recently preserved specimen, as well as by careful reobservation of six type specimens, in which the absence of the glands had been reported. The glands were found both in the neck and along the entire length of the body in the three new specimens. We also confirmed the presence of the glands, at least in the anterior part of the body, in three type specimens. We conclude that the glands were simply overlooked in the original description and that R. adleri possesses nuchodorsal glands that extend over the full length of the body, including the neck region.

Journal

  • Current Herpetology

    Current Herpetology 35 (1), 53-58, 2016

    The Herpetological Society of Japan

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