Sains Malaysiana 51(5)(2022): 1293-1303

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2022-5105-02

Reproductive Morphology of the Golden Tree Snake Chrysopelea ornata (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Ao Nang, Krabi Province, Thailand

(Morfologi Pembiakan Ular Pokok Emas Chrysopelea ornata (Serpentes: Colubridae) dari Ao Nang, Wilayah Krabi, Thailand)

THANAPHON LIKHITYUNGYUEN¹, RUJIKORN PIMSORN¹, TANATPON PROMPA², MONGKOL PONGSUCHART¹ & PANAS TUMKIRATIWONG^1,*

¹Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand

²Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand

Received: 29 May 2021/Accepted: 21 October 2021

Abstract

We monitored the reproductive morphology of the female and male Golden tree snake, Chrysopelea ornata. The females and males were collected during a year from Ao Nang, Muang Krabi, Krabi province, a southern part of Thailand. We investigated the female and male reproductive systems via anatomical and histological approaches. The results demonstrated that the reproductive tracts of females and males were located above the kidney and its right tract was more anteriorly than the left tract. Ovarian follicles were classified into the previtellogenic, early vitellogenic, and late vitellogenic follicles. Previtellogenic follicles were contained three types of cells in the multi-layered granulosa layer: small, intermediate, and large pyriform cells. This such layer becomes the single layer in which the pyriform cells were disappeared in the vitellogenic follicles. Various stages including corpora lutea, gestation, oviposition, and birth were all observed in this study. The oviductal structure of the Golden tree snake was divided into four regions: anterior and posterior infundibulum, uterus, and vagina. The anterior oviductal wall was covered by ciliated and non-ciliated cuboidal epithelial cells and a thin muscularis layer while its posterior portion was contained by ciliated and non-ciliated cuboidal and columnar epithelial cell, and a thick muscularis layer. We found the tubular ciliated glands in the posterior infundibulum. Additionally, the hypertrophied uterine glands in the uterus were observed during the vitellogenic stage. The seminiferous tubules were active simultaneously with the hypertrophied sexual segment of the kidney.

Keywords: Chrysopelea ornata; flying snake; ovarian follicle; reproductive tract; testis

Abstrak

Pemantauan morfologi pembiakan ular pokok emas betina dan jantan, Chrysopelea ornata telah dilakukan. Ular betina dan jantan telah dikumpulkan selama setahun dari Ao Nang, Muang Krabi, wilayah Krabi, bahagian selatan Thailand. Kajian sistem pembiakan ular betina dan jantan melalui pendekatan anatomi dan histologi. Keputusan menunjukkan bahawa saluran pembiakan betina dan jantan terletak di atas buah pinggang dan saluran kanan lebih anterior daripada saluran kiri. Folikel ovari dikelaskan kepada folikel previtelog, vitelogen awal dan vitelogen lewat. Folikel previtelogen mengandungi tiga jenis sel dalam lapisan granulosa berbilang lapisan: sel piriform kecil, pertengahan dan besar. Lapisan sedemikian menjadi satu lapisan kerana sel-sel piriform telah hilang dalam folikel vitelogen. Pelbagai peringkat termasuk corpora lutea, kehamilan, oviposisi dan kelahiran diperhatikan dalam kajian ini. Struktur oviduktus ular pokok emas dibahagikan kepada empat kawasan: infundibulum anterior dan posterior, rahim dan faraj. Dinding oviduktus anterior dilitupi oleh sel epitelium kuboid bersilium dan tidak bersilium serta lapisan muskularis nipis manakala bahagian belakangnya mengandungi sel epitelium kuboid dan kolumnar bersilia dan tidak bersilium serta lapisan otot tebal. Kami mendapati tiub kelenjar berselium di infundibulum posterior. Di samping itu, kelenjar rahim hipertrofi dalam rahim diperhatikan semasa peringkat vitelogenik. Tubul seminifer aktif serentak dengan segmen seksual hipertrofi buah pinggang.

Kata kunci: Chrysopelea ornata; folikel ovari; saluran pembiakan; testis; ular terbang

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^*Corresponding author; email: fscipnt@ku.ac.th