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Studies on the caudal autotomy and regeneration inMabuya dissimilis hallowell

  • Published:
Proceedings / Indian Academy of Sciences

Summary

The following résumé brings together the more important features discovered during the course of this work:

  1. (1)

    The lepidosis of the regenerated tail differs from that of the normal in the fewer number of scale rows and in the presence of the enlarged m d-dorsals in addition to the enlarged mid-ventrals. The normal tail is not segmented externally in correspondence to autotomy planes.

  2. (2)

    The regenerated tail is lighter-coloured (i.e., more or less pinkish in appearance) and is poor in melanophores.

  3. (3)

    The general arrangement of the tissues in the tail ofMabuya is similar to that described forHemidactylus, but the subcutaneous fat-layer is entirely absent.

  4. (4)

    The dermal scutes show inter-connecting bridges and thus go to form an extensive body armour. This feature has not been so far noted by previous authors.

  5. (5)

    The regenerated tail has also sixteen muscle bundles like the normal.

  6. (6)

    The cartilaginous tube in the regenerated tail inMabuya does not show any distinction between a central (uncalcified) and a peripheral (calcified) portion, as discovered inHemidactalus.

  7. (7)

    The cartilaginous tube has occasional large perforations.

  8. (8)

    The contents of the cartilaginous tube show histologically a similarity to bone-marrow, and do not show any pigment cells.

  9. (9)

    The sacral vertebræ inMabuya are fused together to form a synasacrum. The anterior two caudal vertebræ have no chevron bones. The inter-central articulations between the caudal vertebrae are inseparable on account of strong ligamentous unions, and the vertebrae are divided by an autotomy plane, which is neither cartilaginous nor hyaline.

  10. (10)

    The muscle processes are arranged in two lateral series, each consisting of four.

  11. (11)

    Each autotomy segment is telescoped into the one behind it. There is nodistinct autotomy septum inMabuya as in other lizards—there being only a clear split in the osseous tissue of the vertebrae concerned.

  12. (12)

    The breaking of the regenerated tail into pieces by vigorous pulling indicates that the caudal muscles here also are arranged in a “dove-tailing” manner. The number of muscle bundles is the same as that found in the normal tail.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, St. John’s College, Agra

    S. M. Sibtain

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Communicated by Mr. Beni Charan Mahendra,f.z.s.

Thesis approved as part of the requirements for the M.Sc. degree (1938), in the University of Agra.

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Sibtain, S.M. Studies on the caudal autotomy and regeneration inMabuya dissimilis hallowell. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 8, 63–78 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03048201

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