Reproductive Structures in Mertensiella caucasica and M. luschani (Amphibia: Salamandridae)

R. Brizzi, M. Sevinç, G. Tanteri

Abstract


Although different in some aspects of their sexual biology, Mertensiella caucasica and M. luschani share various anatomical characters related to their reproduction. Males of Mertensiella have a tubercle on the dorsal surface of the tail. This structure plays a stimulating role on the female cloaca in the preliminary steps of the mating, namely before the male deposits a spermatophore and the female picks it up in her cloaca. A surprising finding is that females of M. luschani posses a rudiment of tail tubercle, which discloses new perspectives on the original function of this structure. Males of Mertensiella exhibit four types of cloacal glands (Kingsbury’s, pelvic, ventral and dorsal glands), whereas females possess spermathecae for sperm storage and internal fertilization.

Keywords


Mertensiella; reproductive structures

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2005-12-0-263-266

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