Abstract

Seven Juvenile stages (I,II,III,IV,V,VI and VII) of the Gekkonid Tropicolotes tripolitanus, Peter, (1880)  were investigated . Scanning  electron microscopic examination of the dorsal skin of head and trunk region exhibited the presence of lenticular epidermal sense organs with characteristic emerging hair let structures of different forms according to the studied developmental stages. At SEM, stage I and II exhibited similar epidermal scale taking triangular structures with lenticular sensory organ having only 1 or 2 sensory filaments. At stage III, 2 types of epidermal scales were detected larger (old) and small (regenerated) with marked increase of sensory organs especially in trunk region. During the proceeding stages, the regenerated scales become more numerous and spread in-between the degenerated old ones.

Key words: Gekkonid, Tropicolotes tripolitanus, Epidermal sense organ