Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-s22k5 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-05T11:03:56.590Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Skin biology of reptiles and amphibians

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

E. Elkan  and
J. E. Cooper
E. Elkan
Affiliation:
Department of Histopathology, Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex and Department of Pathology, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2XA 3PN
J. E. Cooper
Affiliation:
Department of Histopathology, Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex and Department of Pathology, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2XA 3PN
Get access

Synopsis

The Reptilia and Amphibia are two distinct groups of vertebrates. However, they show a number of similarities, such as ectothermy and ecdysis, and are therefore compared and contrasted in this paper.

The physical features of the skin of reptiles and amphibians vary considerably; in the case of the amphibians the skin is usually relatively thin and may play a part in respiration while that of the reptile is often thick and impervious due to heavy keratinisation. Little is known of the ‘climate’ of the integument and there are relatively few data on its chemistry. Various pathogens may gain entry to the skin but usually this necessitates breaching the epithelium or taking advantage of existing damage.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B: Biological Sciences , Volume 79 , Issue 1-3: Surface ecosystems and the interactions within them which overcome skin defence mechanisms , 1980 , pp. 115 - 126
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1980

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baldwin, E., 1970. An Introduction to Comparative Biochemistry. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Bedford, P., 1974. Toad venom toxicity and its occurrence in small animals in the United Kingdom. Vet. Rec., 94, 613–614.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bellairs, A., 1969. The Life of Reptiles. 2 vols. London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson.Google Scholar
Budtz, P. E., 1977. Aspects of moulting in anurans and its control. Symp. Zool. Soc. Land., 39, 317–334.Google Scholar
Burke, T. J., 1978. Infectious diseases of reptiles. In Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine. Ed. Fowler, M. E.. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.Google Scholar
Camin, J., 1948. Mite transmission of a hemorrhagic septicemia in snakes. J. Parasitol., 34, 345–354.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cevikbas, A., 1978. Antibacterial activity in the skin secretion of the frog Rana ridibunda. Toxicon, 16, 195–197.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooper, J. E., 1971. Disease in East African snakes associated with Kalicephalus worms (Nematoda: Diaphanocephalidae). Vet. Rec., 89, 385–388.Google Scholar
Cooper, J. E. and Leakey, J. H. E., 1976. A septicaemic disease of East African snakes associated with Enterobacteriaceae. Trans. Roy. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg., 70, 80–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooper, J. E., Needham, J. R. and Griffin, J., 1978. A bacterial disease of the Darwin's frog (Rhinoderma darwini). Lab. Animals, 12, 91–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eberth, J. C., 1869. Untersuchungen zur normalen und pathologischen Anatomie der Froschhaut. Leipzig: Engelmann.Google Scholar
Elkan, E., 1969. Some interesting pathological cases in Amphibians. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 134, 275–296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elkan, E., 1965a. Fungal infections in chamaeleons. Copeia, 3, 363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elkan, E., 1965b. Myiasis in Australian frogs. Ann. Trop. Med., 59, 51–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Elkan, E., 1968a. Mucopolysaccharides in the anuran defence against desiccation. J. Zool., Lond., 155, 19–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elkan, E., 1968b. Two cases of epithelial malignancy in Salientia. J. Path. Bact., 69, 496–499.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elkan, E., 1976a. The microanatomy of the skin of Ophisaurus apodus Pallas (Anguidae, Sauria). Brit. J. Herp., 5, 529–532.Google Scholar
Elkan, E., 1976b. Ground substance. In Physiology of the Amphibia. Ed. Lofts, B.. Vol. III, 101–111. London: Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elkan, E., 1976c. Mucopolysaccharides in reptilian skin. Israel J. Zool., 25, 73–94.Google Scholar
Elkan, E., and Cooper, J. E., 1976. Tumours and pseudotumours in some reptiles. J. Comp. Path., 86, 337–348.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Elkan, E. and Reichenbach-Klinke, H., 1974. Color Atlas of the Diseases of Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles. New Jersey: T.F.H. Publications.Google Scholar
Fox, H., 1977. The anuran tadpole skin: changes occurring in it during metamorphosis and some comparisons with that of the adult. Symp. Zool. Soc. Lond., 39, 269–289.Google Scholar
Fukada, H., 1964. On the life history of a snake Rhabdophis t. tigrina Boie. Acta Herp. Jap., 2, 1–4.Google Scholar
Glaser, H. S. R., 1948. Bacteriocidal activity of Crotalus venom in vitro. Copeia, 4, 245–247.Google Scholar
Jackson, C. G. and Fulton, M., 1970. A turtle colony epizootic apparently of microbial origin. J. Wildl. Dis., 6, 466–468.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaplan, H. M., 1957. Septicemic cutaneous ulcerative disease of turtles. Proc. Animal Care Panel, 1, 273–277.Google Scholar
Kastschenko, N., 1882. Ueber die Krappfärbung der Froschgewebe. Arch. Mikr. Anat. Entw. Gesch., 21, 357–386.Google Scholar
Manning, M. J., 1979. Evolution of the vertebrate immune system. J. Roy. Soc. Med., 72, 683–688.Google Scholar
Müller, H. E., 1972. Uber die aerobe Fäkalflora von Reptilien, ins besondere über die Enterobakterien von Schlangen. Zbl. Bakt., 222, 487–495.Google Scholar
Patt, D. I. and Patt, G. R., 1969. Comparative Vertebrate Histology. New York: Harper and Row.Google Scholar
Rogers, H. J., 1961. The structure and function of hyaluronate. Symp. Biochem. Soc., 20, 51–78.Google ScholarPubMed
Smith, M., 1938. The nucho-dorsal glands of snakes. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 108, 575–583.Google Scholar
Turner, R. J., 1979. Antimicrobial responses in amphibia. J. Roy. Soc. Med., 72, 697–701.Google Scholar
Von Düring, M. and Miller, M. R., 1979. Sensory nerve endings of the skin and deeper structures. In Biology of the Reptilia. Ed. Gans, C., Vol. 9A. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Wallach, J. D., 1975. The pathogenesis and etiology of ulcerative shell disease in turtles. J. Zoo Animal Med., 6, 11–13.Google Scholar
Whimster, I. W., 1967. Regenerating toad skin as an experimental model for the study of dermo-epidermal induction. J. Anat. Lond., 101, 633.Google Scholar
Whimster, I. W., 1973. The natural history of endogenous skin malignancy as a basis for experimental research. Trans. A. Rep. St John's Hosp. Derm. Soc., 59, 195–227.Google Scholar
Whitear, M., 1977. A functional comparison between the epidermis of fish and of amphibians. Symp. Zool. Soc. Lond., 39, 291–313.Google Scholar
Zangerl, R., 1969. The turtle shell. In Biology of the Reptilia. Ed. Gans, C., Vol. 1A. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar