| Title: | Intersexual differences in chemical composition of precloacal gland secretions of the amphisbaenian Blanus cinereus |
| Address: | "Departamento de Ecologia Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain. Pilar.Lopez@mncn.csic.es" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-005-8403-2 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0098-0331 (Print) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Pheromonal communication seems to be especially important in amphisbaenians, a group of reptiles morphologically and functionally adapted to fossorial life. Both male and female amphisbaenians (Blanus cinereus) produce copious amounts of a secretion from the precloacal glands. Analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that these secretions contain 29 major lipophilic compounds, including several steroids (mainly cholesterol and cholesteryl methyl ether), n-C9 to n-C18 carboxylic acids (more diverse in males), and methyl and long-chain (waxy)-type esters of carboxylic acids, along with squalene (mainly in males) and tocopherol (only in females). There were clear intersexual differences in the presence/absence of some compounds, such as some fatty acids, steroids, and tocopherol, and in the relative proportions of some shared compounds, such as squalene. These differences may explain how the sexes of this amphisbaenian discriminate one another based on scent alone. The abundance of steroids and waxy esters in secretions of both male and female amphisbaenians may be useful to scent mark underground tunnels to facilitate orientation by these organisms" |
| Keywords: | Animals Cloaca/*metabolism Female Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Male Reptiles Sex Attractants/chemistry/*metabolism *Sex Factors; |
| Notes: | "MedlineLopez, Pilar Martin, Jose eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2005/12/21 J Chem Ecol. 2005 Dec; 31(12):2913-21. doi: 10.1007/s10886-005-8403-2. Epub 2005 Dec 18" |
