Papillary and Callous Scales in the Integument of Agamid Lizards (Agamidae, Sauria) as a Phenomenon of Extraordinary Development of the Corneous Layers

Dujsebayeva T.N. Ananjeva N.B. Rastegar-Pouyani N. Al-Johany A.M. Melnikov D.A.
March 2025 Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)

Animals
2025 #15 Issue 5

Using visual inspection, light and scanning electron microscopy, we studied the integument of six species of the genus Acanthocercus and Laudakia nupta (family Agamidae). Two types of unusual scales were found. Scales covered with an extremely thick corneous layer were detected around the tail base and on the palmar and plantar limb surfaces of all species. When the corneous layer was removed, the surface of such scales remained covered with numerous high papillae (“papillary scales”). Non-overlapping callous-like scales (“callous scales”) were placed in front of cloaca of all Acanthocercus species and in front of the cloaca and in the central part of the belly of L. nupta. Modified scales were certainly male characteristics, developed to a lesser degree and only in some females and subadut specimens, and absent in juveniles. The dermis of modified scales had a well-developed papillary layer that expended the total surface area of stratum germinativum, created a pool of proliferated cells, and promoted a higher production of intensively differentiating keratinocytes with final formation of thick corneous layer that distinguish both types of scales. The functions of modified scales in lizards and some analogies with specialized areas of normal and pathological epidermis of birds and mammals are discussed.

Acanthocercus , dermal papillae , epidermal glands , Laudakia , LM , SEM , Squamata

Text of the article Перейти на текст статьи

Department of Ornithology and Herpetology, Institute of Zoology, Almaty, 050060, Kazakhstan
Department of Herpetology Zoological Institute, Saint-Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation
Department of Zoolgy, Faculty of Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, 6714967346, Iran
Department of Zoology, College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh P.O. Box 2455, Saudi Arabia

Department of Ornithology and Herpetology
Department of Herpetology Zoological Institute
Department of Zoolgy
Department of Zoology

10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель

Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026