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Previously misunderstood multi-sensory organs in the skin of crocodylians are sensitive to touch, heat, cold, and the chemicals in their environment, finds research in BioMed Central's open access journal EvoDevo. These sensors have no equivalent in any other vertebrate.
Crocodylians, the group that includes crocodiles, gharials, alligators and caimans, have particularly tough epidermal scales consisting of keratin and bony plates for added protection. On the head, these scales are unusual because they result from cracking of the hardened skin, rather than their shape being genetically determined.
This means that they can detect surface pressure waves allowing them to quickly find prey even in the dark. The thermal sensitivity help them to maintain body temperature by moving between basking in the sun and cooling in the water, and the chemical sensors may help them to detect suitable habitats.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published by Science Daily, here, and is licenced as Public Domain under Creative Commons. See Creative Commons - Attribution Licence.
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