Integumentary sense organ (ISO)
Definition
Pressure and chemical sensory pits visible as small circular depressions on reptile scales. In crocodilians their distribution pattern distinguishes crocodiles from alligators and caimans in finished leather.
Related terms
- CITES leather guide
- A reference document maintained by the CITES Secretariat providing scale/pit patterns, macroscopic key characters, and species notes for major commercially traded reptile...
- Histological cross-section
- A 5-10 micrometre thin section cut perpendicular to the skin surface, stained and mounted for light microscopy. Reveals dermis architecture (collagen orientation,...
- Lamellar microstructure
- The layer-cake cross-section of pangolin scales visible under light microscopy, reflecting the keratinised plates that build up the scale. Distinguishes pangolin scales...
- Osteoderm
- Bone embedded within the skin dermis, characteristic of crocodilians and some lizards. Survives tanning and provides a species-group identification marker visible as...
- Pit pattern
- The arrangement of scale pits or ISO pores on reptile skin. Scale pit pattern is one of the primary characters in the...
Explained in
- Scale, Skin, and Leather IdentificationPressure and chemical sensory pits visible as small circular depressions on reptile scales. In crocodilians their distribution pattern distinguishes crocodiles...