Adaptations and significance of the cranial feeding apparatus of the sunbeam snake (Xenopeltis unicolor): Part I. Anatomy of the skull

Journal of Morphology
T H Frazzetta

Abstract

The skull of the sunbeam snake Xenopeltis unicolor is described and illustrated. In most aspects the skull features are relatable to primitive alethinophidian snakes (henophidian vs. caenophidian snakes of some systems). There are skull characters in common with those of anilioids and others that are shared among primitive snakes generally and lizards. Some of the important characteristics are: the premaxilla bears teeth and the snout complex is articulated with the dorsal parts of the frontals; there is no "boa-like" ascending process of the premaxilla in Xenopeltis, which also is absent in most pythons and in varanid lizards; the braincase is swollen posteriorly and the supratemporal bones are partially embedded in the braincase surface; and the parietals extend anteriorly around the frontals to form a significant part of the upper orbital margins. In addition, the stapes' footplates are very large and the quadrates relatively short. For the most part the bones are comparable in shape and attachments to anilioid and pythonine snakes, although the skull is distinctive in some ways. Special cranial features possessed by Xenopeltis include the contact between premaxilla and maxillae that is mainly sutural, although less firmly b...Continue Reading

Citations

Sep 14, 2002·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Michael S Y Lee, John D Scanlon
Feb 20, 2014·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Marcello MezzasalmaFabio Maria Guarino
Sep 19, 2017·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Laura N TriviñoJorge D Williams
Feb 5, 2014·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Agustín Scanferla, Bhart-Anjan S Bhullar

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