Preliminary Characterization of the Defensive Secretion of Diplodactylus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae)

Rosenberg, Herbert I.; Russell, Anthony P.; Kapoor, Mridula

doi:10.2307/1445359

Cited by 9 publications

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“…30, 45, and 80 kDa. 77 Only the 80 kDa component of the silver spiny-tailed gecko reacted positively for glycoprotein. Snakes typically discharge malodorous secretions from these glands when provoked.…”

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confidence: 98%

Natural products from the integument of nonavian reptiles

2008

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confidence: 98%

Natural products from the integument of nonavian reptiles

2008

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“…The UCMGs differ from the holocrine glands of the femoral and preanal pores of lizards, including some geckos (Regamey 1935); the caudal defensive putative glands of diplodactyline geckos (Rosenberg et al 1984;Böhme andSering 1996-1997), the precloacal glands of amphisbaenians (Jared et al 1999), and the dorsal glands of Alligator mississippiensis (Cannon et al 1996). All these are stable organs not involved in the sloughing cycle.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First evidence of unicellular glands in the general epidermis of terrestrial reptiles

Hiller

Werner

2007

Naturwissenschaften

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The general integument of reptiles is traditionally defined as being dry, but we report here the discovery of unicellular mucoid glands (UCMG) in the dorsal skin of lizards of the genus Phelsuma (Gekkonidae). To this end, the skin of these lizards and of some others for comparison was studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. These photographs showed that the development and function of the UCMGs are related to the skin's sloughing cycle. The UCMGs differentiate at scattered locations from Oberhäutchen cells of the inner (new) epidermal generation, above the differentiating beta-keratin layer. While the inner generation matures, the UCMG increases in size; unlike the surrounding Oberhäutchen cells, it does not develop the spinules that characterize gecko skin. When, upon sloughing, the inner generation becomes the new outer generation, and the Oberhäutchen forms the skin surface, the UCMGs, several per scale, dot the surface as mucus-inflated "blebs" projecting from the surrounding spinulate Oberhäutchen, each nesting in a shallow pit of the underlying beta-keratin. On the surface, the UCMGs rupture and the mucus appears to dissipate in cords, flowing over the tips of the spinules, and incorporating minute foreign bodies. It is concluded that, due to the low wettability of the spinulate surface (derived from the spacing of the spinules), the cords brush off easily, with the mucus functioning as a cleaning agent.

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“…Russell & Rosenburg (1981) initially placed D. ciliaris , D. elderi , D. michaelseni , D. spinigerus, D. strophurus , D. taenicauda and D. williamsi in the subgenus Strophurus. Rosenburg, Russell & Kapoor (1984) later discovered caudal glands in D. rankini and added this species to Strophurus , while also suggesting that D. wilsoni should be included in this subgenus. Since then, D. assimilis , D. intermedius , D. jeanae, D. mcmillani, D. robinsoni, D. taeniatus, D. wellingtonae and D. wilsoni have been added to Strophurus (Greer, 1989; Cogger, 2000; Kluge, 2001), which is given generic status by some authors .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Geckos of the subgenus Strophurus can fire from the dorsal surface of their tail thin streams of viscous tail‐gland secretions aimed by curving the tail (Rosenburg & Russell, 1980; Greer, 1989). Preliminary biochemical characterization shows that the substance contains protein and glycoprotein and is similar among species (Rosenburg et al ., 1984). Previous studies suggest that the caudal glands are evolutionary modifications of fat bodies that occupy a similar position in many other lizards, including other Diplodactylini (Rosenburg et al ., 1984; Greer, 1989).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Preliminary biochemical characterization shows that the substance contains protein and glycoprotein and is similar among species (Rosenburg et al ., 1984). Previous studies suggest that the caudal glands are evolutionary modifications of fat bodies that occupy a similar position in many other lizards, including other Diplodactylini (Rosenburg et al ., 1984; Greer, 1989). Most Strophurus lack caudal fat bodies, their place being filled by caudal glands (Rosenburg & Russell, 1980).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A molecular study of phylogenetic relationships and evolution of antipredator strategies in Australian Diplodactylus geckos, subgenus Strophurus

Melville

Schulte

Larson

2004

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

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We present phylogenetic analyses of the lizard genus Diplodactylus subgenus Strophurus using 1646 aligned positions of mitochondrial DNA sequences containing 893 parsimony-informative characters for samples of 12 species of Strophurus and 19 additional Australian gecko species. Sequences from three protein-coding genes (ND1, ND2 and COI) and eight intervening transfer RNA genes were examined using parsimony, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian analyses. Species of Strophurus appeared to form a monophyletic group with the possible exception of S. taenicauda . Strophurus has evolved two distinct defence/display characteristics: caudal glands, which expel an unpalatable substance, and striking mouth colours. Caudal glands appeared to have arisen once in a common ancestor of Strophurus , with dermal augmentation of caudal glands characterizing a subclade within the subgenus. Evolution of yellow and dark-blue mouth colours in Strophurus occurred in the context of diurnal activity and may be interpreted as an augmentation of defensive behavioural displays. Molecular divergence suggests that arboreality evolved in a common ancestor of Oedura and Strophurus approximately 29 Mya and that the caudal glands of Strophurus arose approximately 25 Mya.

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Preliminary Characterization of the Defensive Secretion of Diplodactylus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae)

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

Natural products from the integument of nonavian reptiles

Natural products from the integument of nonavian reptiles

First evidence of unicellular glands in the general epidermis of terrestrial reptiles

A molecular study of phylogenetic relationships and evolution of antipredator strategies in Australian Diplodactylus geckos, subgenus Strophurus

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