Article

Taste buds in the palatal mucosa of snakes

Published in: African Zoology
Volume 36 , issue 2 , 2001 , pages: 185–188

DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2001.11657136

Author(s): Herman Berkhoudt Evolutionary Morphology, The Netherlands , Perrin Wilson Department of Biology, U.S.A , Bruce Young Department of Biology, U.S.A

Keywords: Crotalus , Scolecophidia , Viperidae , oral cavity , chemoreception , gustatory organs

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Abstract

An examination of the oral mucosa of Crotalus and several Scolecophidia revealed the presence of taste buds. The taste buds in these two divergent groups of snakes are similar in appearance, and correspond to previous descriptions of gustatory organs in other reptiles. Few taste buds were present in any specimen, and these were restricted to the palatal mucosa adjacent to the ducts to the vomeronasal organ. Taste buds were not found in some of the scolecophidians examined.

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