Abstract
This descriptive study examined the variation in ventral Crocodylus porosus (saltwater crocodile) belly skin. The study is the first to determine both intra and inter variation of C. porosus skin, epidermis and dermis thickness across the ventral belly region. Standardised ventral scales from across the belly region of a Hatchling (< 12months), Yearling (1–2 years) and Grow Out (>2 years) animals were examined using histological measurements for the stratum (s.) corneum, a combined measure for the remainder of the epidermis; the s. granulosum, s. spinosum and s. basale, and the dermis. This study determined that there was a thinning across all layers of the belly skin, from the head to the cloaca, and a decrease in thickness scales in lateral scales compared to midline scales. Variation within a scale was found predominately in the s. corneum and can be related to the change in keratin type from beta- to alpha- in the hinge (inter-scalar) region and the integumentary sensory organs. Future studies should utilise a larger sample size and consider less invasive imaging techniques.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 151914 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-10 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Acta Histochemica |
| Volume | 124 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Funding for the research was provided by Charles Darwin University , Australia Higher Degree by Research Student Funding and Australian Government Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture 2014. The authors declare no conflict of interest that could inappropriately influence or bias the content of the paper.
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