In
snakes
Snakes are elongated Limbless vertebrate, limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales much like other members of ...
, the ventral scales or gastrosteges are the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down the underside of the body from the neck to the
anal scale. When counting them, the first is the anteriormost ventral scale that contacts the
paraventral (lowermost) row of
dorsal scales on either side. The anal scale is not counted.
[Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. 2 volumes. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. .]
The term gastrostege (from Greek γαστήρ, γαστρός = belly and στέγη, στέγος = cover, roof) was more often used in the older literature, especially pre-1900 but is rarely used today.
Related scales
*
Preventral scales Preventral scales are snake scales positioned anterior to the ventral scales and are wider than they are long, but do not come into contact with the paraventral row of dorsal scales on either side of the body. Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. ''The ...
*
Anal scale
*
Subcaudal scales
*
Paraventral scales
See also
*
Snake scale
Snakes, like other reptiles, have skin covered in scales.Boulenger, George A. 1890 The Fauna of British India. p. 1 Snakes are entirely covered with scales or scutes of various shapes and sizes, known as snakeskin as a whole. A scale protects t ...
References
{{Reflist
Snake scales