Histology of Watersnake (Enhydris Enhydris) Digestive System

¹ Histology Laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia
² Veterinary Education Study Program Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia
³ Pathology Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
⁴ Anatomy Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
⁵ Clinical Laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: dianmasyitha@unsyiah.ac.id

Abstract

This research aimed to study the histology of the digestive system of the watersnake (Enhydris enhydris). The digestive system taken was the esophagus, stomach, frontal small intestine and the back of the large intestine from three watersnakes. The samples were then made into histological preparations with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and observed exploratively. The results showed that the digestive system of the watersnake was composed of layers of tissue, namely the mucosa, tunica submucosa, tunica muscularis, and serous tunica. Mucosal mucosa consisted of the lamina epithelium, lamina propria, and mucous lamina muscularis. The submucosal tunica consisted of connective tissue with blood vessels, lymph, and nerves. The muscular tunica was composed of circular muscles and elongated muscles. The serous tunica consisted of a thin layer of connective tissue that was covered by a thin layer of the mesothelium (mesothelium). The histological structure of the snake digestive system is not much different from the reptile digestive system. However, in the small intestine of the snake, Brunner, and liberkhun glands are not found. Lamina epithelial in the small intestine of the snake is composed of the layered cylindrical epithelium.