Pr. Manger et al., HISTOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON PRESUMED ELECTRORECEPTORS AND MECHANORECEPTORS IN THE BEAK SKIN OF THE LONG-BEAKED ECHIDNA, ZAGLOSSUS-BRUIJNII, Proceedings - Royal Society. Biological Sciences, 264(1379), 1997, pp. 165-172
Sensory receptors in the rostral portion of the beak skin of a single
specimen of the rare long-beaked echidna, Zaglossus bruijnii, are desc
ribed. Mucous glands which have been modified to accommodate sensory i
nnervation, similar to those seen in Ornithorhynchus, are found in the
rostral 2 cm of the beak skin, anterior to the maxillofacial foramen,
at a density of approximately 12/mm(2). The papillary epidermal porti
on of the gland ducts are walled by concentric layers of keratinocytes
, and each duct is innervated by 10-15 myelinated nerve terminals. The
mucous gland receptors in Zaglossus are intermediate in structure bet
ween those of Ornithorhynchus and Tachyglossus, but are similar enough
to the former to suggest that electroreception may play a major role
in the sensory experience of Zaglossus. Push-rod mechanoreceptors also
occur throughout the same region of beak skin, and appear similar to
those described for Tachyglossus.