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Studies on the anatomy of the tail in Sauria and Rhynchocephalia

II.Chameleon zeylanicus Laurenti

  • Published:
Proceedings / Indian Academy of Sciences

Summary

Theprehensile type of tail, found in the familyChameleonidœ, is adapted for grasping supports by coiling and uncoiling in a dorso-ventral direction. It has the following features.

  1. (a)

    The scales are arranged in an annular manner, the transverse rows of the dorsal side exceeding those of the ventral.

  2. (b)

    The ventral epithelium differs from the dorsal in being thicker and stronger and in being provided with peg-shaped spines.

  3. (c)

    The vertebral column is displaced gradually upwards as it proceeds posteriorly. The pre- and post-zygapophyses are extremely well developed, the latter fitting not over, but in between the former so that the lateral movements of the tail are restricted. The inter-vertebral foramina are large. The transverse processes which arise from the ventral part of the centrum are short and broad, lie at the middle of the vertebra and face outwards and downwards. The neural spine is a prominent structure confined almost completely to the posterior part of the vertebral roof. The anterior face of the centrum has its lower border much shorter than the upper and lateral ones.

  4. (d)

    The caudal musculature, which has been described in detail, consists of longitudinally extended muscles, overlaid by numerous tendons of varying form and length.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Birla College, Pilani

    Syed Muzammil Ali

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  1. Syed Muzammil Ali
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Additional information

Communicated by Prof. Beni Charan Mahendra,d.sc., f.z.s., f.a.sc.

Part of a thesis approved for the Ph.D. degree in Agra University.

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Ali, S.M. Studies on the anatomy of the tail in Sauria and Rhynchocephalia. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 28, 151–165 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03049956

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