Most lizards have a '''urinary bladder''' where the urine may be modified. Urinalysis may therefore not indicate renal function. A thin-walled bladder is present in most lizards and helps water retention. When absent, urine is stored in the distal colon. It connects to the cloaca by a short urethra which means that urine waste flows from the kidney through the ureter into the urodeum of the cloaca before entering the bladder (or colon for species lacking a bladder), resulting in non-sterile urine, unlike mammals. | Most lizards have a '''urinary bladder''' where the urine may be modified. Urinalysis may therefore not indicate renal function. A thin-walled bladder is present in most lizards and helps water retention. When absent, urine is stored in the distal colon. It connects to the cloaca by a short urethra which means that urine waste flows from the kidney through the ureter into the urodeum of the cloaca before entering the bladder (or colon for species lacking a bladder), resulting in non-sterile urine, unlike mammals. |