Abstract:The morphological constraint hypothesis (MCH) states that, in snakes, males typically have relatively longer tails than females to accommodate the hemipenes and retractor muscles. To date, most studies testing the MCH have been interspecific and results have been equivocal. We tested the MCH intraspecifically on Cerastes vipera, a species with a relatively short tail and suitable for testing the MCH. The relative tail length and length of the hemipenes pocket in Cerastes vipera were measured in preserved museu… Show more
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