The Head Masculature of the Diploglossinae

Abstract

This subfamily is considered to include the genera Ophiodes, Diploglossus, Wetmorena, Celestus and Sauresia, the latter two of questionable validity (Underwood, 1959). Such arrangement will be justified by similarities in skull structure and in the anatomy of the head musculature, as will become clear from the following descriptions. The musculature of the members of this subfamily is known by the study of Fürbringer (1870) on Ophisaurus striatus only. The trigeminal jaw musculature has never been described for any species included within this subfamily. In the following descriptions, the head musculature of G. liocephalus will serve as a basis for comparison which will help to avoid repeated statements about similar or identical structures.