Tail trifurcation in the lizard Salvator merianae (Squamata: Teiidae) investigated by computer tomography.

DANIEL PASSOS; PEDRO MORAIS FONSECA; PAULO ROMO-DE-VIVAR-MARTÍNEZ; C. KANAYAMA; VICENTE TEIXEIRA; AGUSTIN MARTINELLI

PHYLLOMEDUSA

USP

Año: 2016 vol. 15 p. 79 - 83

1519-1397

Lizards are well known by the ability to regenerate their tails, but sometimes they fail during this process, generating two or more anomalous tails. However, the extent and causes of these tail abnormalities are still unknown. Herein, we record a case of tail trifurcation in Salvator merianae (Squamata, Teiidae), assessing its morphological anomaly by computer tomography. Our findings demonstrated that the anomalous tails emerged from the main tail axis, suggesting that the two tail furcations resulted from an incomplete break in the original tail. Furthermore, we advise researchers to use high definition imaging technologies in future examinations of tail anomalies in order to provide more detailed information on these abnormalities.