Further scanning electron microscope studies of lizard auditory papillae

The papillae basilares of 12 species of lizards from seven different families were studied by SEM. The iguanids, Sceloporus magister and S. occidentalis, have typical “iguanid type” papillae with central short‐ciliated unidirectional hair cell segments and apical and basal long‐ciliated bidirectional hair cell segments. These species of Sceloporus are unique among iguanids in that the bidirectional segments consist of but two rows of hair cells. The agamids, Agama agama and Calotes nigrolabius, have an “agamid‐anguid type” papilla consisting of an apical short‐ciliated unidirectional hair cell segment and a longer basal bidirectional segment. Agama agama is unusual in having a few long‐ciliated hair cells at the apical end of the apical short‐ciliated segment. The agamid, Uromastix sp., has an “iguanid type” papilla with a central short‐ciliated unidirectional segment and apical and basal bidirectional segments. The anguid, Ophisaurus ventralis, has an “iguanid” papillar pattern with the short‐ciliated segment centrally located. All the short‐ciliated hair cells of the above species are covered by a limbus‐attached tectorial network or cap and the long‐ciliated hair cells, only by loose tectorial strands.