First report of hemiclitores in female lizards of the genus Ophiodes Wagler, 1828 (Squamata: Anguidae)

Abstract

In some species of Squamata, the hemiclitoris is a structure homologous to the hemipenis, and may be used as a taxonomic character. These structures showed similar morphology in males and females in different species of the group; however, some studies have identified morphological variation among them. In this context, we described for the first time the morphological characteristics of the hemiclitoris and compared them with those observed in the hemipenis of Ophiodes cf. fragilis. We analysed the hemipenes and hemiclitores of four specimens belonging to the Herpetological Collection of the Laboratory of Reptiles at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, highlighting external morphology and histological characteristics. We observed that the external morphology varied between the structures, such as number of lobes and ornaments; however, both had similar histological characteristics. These data contribute to a better understanding of the taxonomic character of lizards, helping with the taxonomic elucidation of the genus.