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Reptilian Chemistry: Volatile Compounds from Paracloacal Glands of the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)

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Abstract

The secretion of the paracloacal glands of the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) contains over 80 lipophilic compounds, including saturated and unsaturated long-chain alcohols along with their formic, acetic, and butyric acid esters, and several isoprenoids. Most of these compounds were identified on the basis of mass spectra, obtained by GC-MS. In addition, identification of the major components was supported by infrared spectra obtained by GC-FTIR. Major differences are indicated in the composition of the paracloacal gland secretion of C. acutus and that of another crocodylid, the African dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis).

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Correspondence to Jerrold Meinwald.

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García-Rubio, S., Attygalle, A.B., Weldon, P.J. et al. Reptilian Chemistry: Volatile Compounds from Paracloacal Glands of the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). J Chem Ecol 28, 769–781 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015288726605

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