de Haan Cornelius C
C R Biol. 2003 Mar;326(3):275-86. doi: 10.1016/s1631-0691(03)00073-8.
Extrabuccal infralabial secretion outlets (ILOs), periodically absent and heretofore non-described, have been found in nineteen species representing three of the eight psammophine snake genera. These infralabial outlets are thought to be non-existent in the other five genera. A few psammophines representing four genera, among which three of the five without ILOs, are characterised by their 'self-rubbing' behaviour, for which they employ an external narial valve bearing a secretion outlet of a special nasal gland. Such a valve is here reported for representatives of all eight genera. It is proposed that all psammophines perform self-rubbing to enable subsequent chemical marking of substrate and conspecific individuals. The newly found infralabial outlets, however, serve for direct chemical marking of conspecifics. This direct marking seems to substitute for a function of both the special nasal gland and the cloacal scent glands during social activity of the snakes in trees or shrubs. This hypothesis and the relationship of the observed traits with the presumed advantages of a thin and short hemipenis are discussed. A taxonomic implication is suggested.
在代表八个沙蛇属中三个属的19个物种中发现了颊外唇下分泌孔（ILOs），这些分泌孔会周期性缺失，且此前未被描述过。据认为，其他五个属不存在这种唇下分泌孔。代表四个属的一些沙蛇具有“自我摩擦”行为，其中五个没有ILOs的属中有三个属具有这种行为，它们通过一个带有特殊鼻腺分泌孔的外部鼻孔瓣膜来进行自我摩擦。本文报道了所有八个属的代表都有这样一个瓣膜。有人提出，所有沙蛇都会进行自我摩擦，以便随后对底物和同种个体进行化学标记。然而，新发现的唇下分泌孔用于对同种个体进行直接化学标记。这种直接标记似乎在蛇类在树木或灌木丛中的社交活动中替代了特殊鼻腺和泄殖腔气味腺的功能。本文讨论了这一假设以及观察到的特征与假定的短小半阴茎优势之间的关系。还提出了一个分类学意义。
