• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: Observations on Submergence Reflexes of Caiman sclerops
  • Contributor: Garrick, L. D.; Saiff, E. I.
  • Published: Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, 1974
  • Published in: Journal of Herpetology, 8 (1974) 3, Seite 231-235
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1937-2418; 0022-1511
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: In crocodilians, reflexes of the eye, external auditory meatus and external nares are activated at submergence. Observations of the reflexes of the eyelids and external auditory meatus of immobilized Caiman sclerops to rising and lowering water levels and squirts of water into the eye and external auditory meatus demonstrated a dependence of external auditory meatus opening and closure on eyelid opening and closure. Analysis of filmed observations of changing water levels showed that tension developed in the lower eyelid was paralleled by movement in the inferior ear flap; e.g. closure of the lower eyelid resulted in movement of the inferior ear flap to close the external auditory meatus. These results support the notion of a mechanical dependence of external auditory meatus width change solely upon the movement of the lower eyelid.