Amphibian and Reptile Element Information

This page acts as a guide to amphibian and reptile bones, indicating which elements are found in which commonly-occuring British species.

Compiled by the author with help and assistance from Phil Piper (pers. comm.), and Chris Gleed-Owen (1998).

Amphibians			Reptiles
	Ranidae (frogs)	Bufonidae (toads)	Salamandridae (newts)	Emydidae (turtle)	Lacertidae (lizards)	Anguidae (slow worm)	Viperidae and Colubridae (snakes)
QC0
Amphibian misc.	x	x	x
Angulosplenial	x	x
Carpal	x	x	x	x	x
Carpal/tarsal	x	x	x	x	x
Caudal vertebra			x		x	x	x
Cervical vertebra				x	x	x	x
Columella		x
Coracoid		x		x
Cornua			x
Distal caudal vertebra						x	x
Exoccipital	x
Fibula			x
Hyoidal cornua	x	x
Ischium	x	x	x	x
Mentomeckelian			x
Metacarpal	x	x	x	x	x
Metapodial	x	x	x	x	x
Metatarsal	x	x	x	x	x
Nasal		x	x
Omosternum	x
Osteoderms						x
Parasphenoid	x	x
Phalanx	x	x	x	x	x
Precaudal vertebra			x
Precoracoid		x
Prefrontal			x
Premaxilla	x		x
Pterygoid	x	x	x
Pubis				x
Quadrate			x
Quadratojugal	x	x
Radius			x
Reptile misc.				x	x	x	x
Rib			x
Sacral and coloacal vertebra					x	x	x
Sphenethmoid		x
Squamosal	x	x	x
Sternum	x
Tarsal	x	x	x	x	x
Tibia			x
Tooth							x
Trunk vertebra	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Ulna			x
Urostyle	x	x
Vertebra
Vomer			x
QC1
Atlas vertebra	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Carapace				x
Dentary	x	x	x		x
Femur	x	x	x	x	x
Fibulare	x
Frontal			x			x
Frontoparietal	x	x
Humerus	x	x	x	x	x
Ilium	x	x	x	x	x	x
Maxilla	x	x	x		x
Orbitosphenoid			x
Parietal			x			x
Plastron				x
Prootic-exoccipital			x
Radioulna	x	x
Sacral vertebra	x	x	x	x	x
Scapula	x	x		x
Scapulocoracoid			x		x
Tibiale	x
Tibiofibula	x	x
QC4
2nd digit metacarpal		x