Snake coil4 - visceral pillar (IMAGE)

Canadian Museum of Nature

Snake coil4 - visceral pillar

Caption

A cut-away view of a CT-scanned image embryo of Cape house snake (Boaedon capensis), revealing the 'visceral pillar' -- a newly discovered trait unique to snake embryos. The gut is separated from the body axis, as the latter begins to rapidly grow and buckle into coiling form. The gut becomes integrated again later when its growth catches up with the rest of the body.

Credit

Raul Diaz, California State University Los Angeles

Usage Restrictions

For use with stories about the study in Current Biology on snake coiling.

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