Anterior segment of the eye of snakes Psammophis sibilans and Spalerosophis diadema | ||
| African Journal of Biological Sciences | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 25 October 2025 | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ajbs.2025.428481.1139 | ||
| Authors | ||
| amany salah saad* 1; fatma Abdel-Regal mahmoud2; Samia Abdalla Gaber1; Nahed Ahmed Shawki2 | ||
| 1Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt | ||
| 2Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The present study examined the gross anatomy, and histology of the anterior segment of eye, which comprises the cornea, iris, ciliary body, and lens, of two different snake species, Psammophis sibilans and Spalerosophis diadema, in activity patterns. Result: the cornea of P. sibilans and S. diadema was a transparent, curved structure that covered the front of the eyeball’s outer layer behind spectacles. Histologically, it consisted of epithelium, stroma, Bowman’s layer, and endothelium. Iris of P. sibilans and S. diadema was golden in color, and surrounded the lens, forming the pupil. Histologically, it comprised anterior stroma with connective tissue, chromatophores, blood vessels, collagen fibers, and sphincter muscle fibers. Posterior epithelium consisted of double pigmented layers of epithelial cells. The ciliary body of P. sibilans and S. diadema was located between lens and base of the iris. It appeared as a ciliary roll that surrounded the lens completely in P. sibilans and partially in S. diadema. Histologically, it was composed of one layer of columnar epithelial cells, which continued from the pigmented posterior iris over a ciliary roll, containing collagen fibers and dark pigmented granules. The lens of P. sibilans and S. diadema was spherical with a biconvex surface, a yellowish color, located posterior to the iris, and occupied most of the internal part of the eyeball. Lens fibers in S. diadema were wider and lighter in color than those of P. sibilans. Histologically, the anterior lens epithelium consisted of one layer of simple cuboidal epithelial cells with rounded nuclei and cytoplasm. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Anterior segment; Psammophis sibilans; Snake; Spalerosophis diadema | ||
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