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Lizard Gastrointestinal System (view source)
Revision as of 21:14, 2 March 2010
, 21:14, 2 March 2010no edit summary
==Mouth==
==Mouth==
===Lips===
Lizards have moveable lips composed of flexible skin.
===Teeth===
Lizard teeth are used for grasping, piercing and breaking food or, in the case of monitors, slicing and cutting. Mollusk-eating Caiman lizards (''Dracaena guianensis'') and adult Nile monitors (''Varanus niloticus'') have broad rounded cheek teeth for crushing shells.
Lizard teeth are used for grasping, piercing and breaking food or, in the case of monitors, slicing and cutting. Mollusk-eating Caiman lizards (''Dracaena guianensis'') and adult Nile monitors (''Varanus niloticus'') have broad rounded cheek teeth for crushing shells.
Pleurodont teeth are shed and replaced whereas acrodont teeth are only replaced in very young specimens. For agamids and chameleons, special care should be taken to avoid damaging the acrodont teeth when opening a lizard's mouth with a rigid speculum as these teeth are irreplaceable. Furthermore, acrodont dentition is reportedly susceptible to periodontal disease.
Pleurodont teeth are shed and replaced whereas acrodont teeth are only replaced in very young specimens. For agamids and chameleons, special care should be taken to avoid damaging the acrodont teeth when opening a lizard's mouth with a rigid speculum as these teeth are irreplaceable. Furthermore, acrodont dentition is reportedly susceptible to periodontal disease.
===Tongue===
The tongue is generally mobile and protrusible. In the green iguana, the tip is darker than the rest and could be mistaken for a lesion. Lizards such as monitors and tegus have deeply forked tongues and chameleons have a projectile tongue for gathering food.
The tongue is generally mobile and protrusible. In the green iguana, the tip is darker than the rest and could be mistaken for a lesion. Lizards such as monitors and tegus have deeply forked tongues and chameleons have a projectile tongue for gathering food.
* Mader, D.R. (2005). ''Reptile Medicine and Surgery''. Saunders. pp. 1264. ISBN 072169327X
* Mader, D.R. (2005). ''Reptile Medicine and Surgery''. Saunders. pp. 1264. ISBN 072169327X
[[Category:Lizard_Anatomy]]