Histological and Histochemical Studies on the Esophagus, Stomach and Small Intestines of Varanus niloticus

Information on the digestive system of the reptiles is based on relatively few studies on some of the now present 7500 reptilian species.Yet, the gap between our understanding of the major similarities and / or differences between the mammalian and reptilian digestive system does not seem satisfiable.The Varanus niloticusAhmed et al.pyramidal and were localized in the surface epithelium of the esophagus and small intestine, and among the cells of the gastric glands.This is the first report about the histology of the alimentary tract of the Varanus niloticus.Further studies are required for investigation the possibility of using this animal as a model for studying the regulation of the digestive processes as well as to understand the theory of development.