Chemical access to the vomeronasal organs of garter snakes

Garter snakes tongue-flicked cotton swabs soaked in a mixture of earthworm extract and ³H-proline. In snakes with intact tongues and patent vomeronasal ducts, large accumulations of radioactive material, as revealed by autoradiography, were observed in the vomeronasal organs. When the vomeronasal ducts were sutured closed, no radioactivity was discerned in the vomeronasal organs. The accumulations of radioactive material in the organs were reduced slightly when the tongue tips were removed. In snakes whose entire tongue was removed, but whose lips touched the swabs, a discernable amount of radioactive accumulation still occurred in the vomeronasal organs.