Determination of cloacal scent-gland lipids from two sympatric snakes, theEastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) and the Florida cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti)

Lipids from the cloacal scent gland of Crotalus adamanteus and Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti have been determined by high-performance thin-layer chro matography (HPTLC), Qualitative analysis showed the secretions of both spec ies to contain free sterols, triacylglycerols, phosphatidylcholine, and pho sphatidylethanolamine; methyl esters were present only in samples from C, a damanteus, and there was no evidence of monoacylglycerols, diacylglycerols, or alkylglycerol ethers in either species. Quantitative analyses of neutra l lipids and phospholipids indicated clear interspecific differences with C , adamanteus having a higher concentration of neutral lipids and phosphatid ylcholine, whereas the glandular secretion of A. p. conanti contained a hig her concentration of phosphatidylethanolamine. Comparison of the cloacal sc ent-gland secretions from male and female A. p. conanti revealed no qualita tive differences between neutral lipid content.