Histochemical and biochemical studies of the snake; psammophis schokari inhabiting different geographical habitats

Snakes of the family Psammophiidae are abundant throughout Africa and are the most commonly encountered snakes within their areas of occurrence. The Schokari sand snake, Psammophis schokari, is a colubrid snake distributed widely on the western Mediterranean coastal plain, widespread over much in the dune fields of the north Sinai. Sixteen specimens of the snake Psammophis schokari were collected from two different geographical habitats: El Daba as a coastal area and El Maghara as a desert-area. There is a variation in coloration between both snakes. They were sacrificed; liver, skeletal muscles and skin were examined. The present histological study of the liver tissue showed some changes in the architecture of the coastal and desert Psammophis snakes. The amount of pigments in the skin of desert Psammophis were greater than coastal. Variations in the amount of energy reserved in certain organs (liver, skeletal muscles, skin) was histochemically observed and confirmed by the biochemical studies in both snakes. In conclusion, the present study indicates the relation between the amounts of food available in the environment and the variation in the histology of some tissues and body reserves in coastal and desert Psammophis schokari.