Which anatomical marker is stated to be exclusive to crotaline snakes and *absent* in *B. alternatus*?
Answer
Fusion of the second supralabial scale with the prelacunal scale forming a lacunolabial scale.
A critical and precise anatomical detail used for species differentiation within the *Bothrops* genus involves the scale arrangement on the head. Specifically, in *Bothrops jararaca*, the second supralabial scale demonstrates a fusion with the adjacent prelacunal scale, resulting in a structure termed a lacunolabial scale. This specific fusion is explicitly noted as a feature exclusive to crotaline snakes and is confirmed to be absent in *Bothrops alternatus*, which maintains separate supralabial scales not joined to the prelacunal scale.
Related Questions
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