Duvernoy's gland
Encyclopedia
The Duvernoy's gland is a gland found in some groups of colubrid
snake
s. It is distinguished from the venom gland and is not found in viperid or elapid snakes. It was named for French
zoologist Georges Louis Duvernoy
who first described the gland in 1832.
The Duvernoy’s gland is positioned posterior to the eye, encased in a thin cover of connective tissue, and consists mostly of
serous cells. A single, short duct extends anteromedially from the lumen of the gland to the base of the posterior fangs.
glands Other scientists such as Dr. Bryan Fry maintain that the Duvernoy gland is a primitive version of a venom gland and should be referred to as such.
Because the secretions of this gland are associated with the swallowing behavior of snakes, the Duvernoy's gland may play a role in swallowing and/or digestion. Kardong also notes that although some Duvernoy’s gland secretions may be toxic and that they can produce pain, swelling, and other effects if injected subcutaneously; this does not make those secretions venoms.
Colubrid
A colubrid is a member of the snake family Colubridae. This broad classification of snakes includes about two-thirds of all snake species on earth. The earliest species of the snake family date back to the Oligocene epoch. With 304 genera and 1,938 species, Colubridae is the largest snake family...
snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s. It is distinguished from the venom gland and is not found in viperid or elapid snakes. It was named for French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
zoologist Georges Louis Duvernoy
Georges Louis Duvernoy
Georges Louis Duvernoy was a French zoologist. He assisted Georges Cuvier in writing Leçons d'anatomie comparée. He was elected a member of the French Academy of Sciences in 1847 and a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1851....
who first described the gland in 1832.
The Duvernoy’s gland is positioned posterior to the eye, encased in a thin cover of connective tissue, and consists mostly of
serous cells. A single, short duct extends anteromedially from the lumen of the gland to the base of the posterior fangs.
Function
The function of the Duvernoy's gland has been the source of much study and speculation, and debate is still ongoing. It is widely recognized that the Duvernoy’s gland is the homologue of venom glands in vipers and elapids. However, the two types of glands are also “anatomically and functionally distinct,” leading experts such as Dr. Kenneth Kardong to maintain the distinction between the Duvernoy’s gland and venomVenom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
glands Other scientists such as Dr. Bryan Fry maintain that the Duvernoy gland is a primitive version of a venom gland and should be referred to as such.
Because the secretions of this gland are associated with the swallowing behavior of snakes, the Duvernoy's gland may play a role in swallowing and/or digestion. Kardong also notes that although some Duvernoy’s gland secretions may be toxic and that they can produce pain, swelling, and other effects if injected subcutaneously; this does not make those secretions venoms.