Pelvic spur

Pelvic spurs are the externally visible portion of the vestigial remnants of legs found on each side of the cloaca in primitive snakes, such as boas and pythons.[1] The remnants of a pelvis and femur, which have no connection with the spine, simply "float" in the muscle mass.[1] The femur protrudes from the snake's body and is covered by a horny structure, which resembles a spur or claw.[1] Males' spurs are generally longer and more pointed than females', and are used for clasping and tickling during courtship and mating,[2] as well as combat with other males in some species.[3]

External view of anal spurs on a male, albino burmese python
Skeleton of a Boelens python showing the bones inside the anal spurs

These spurs represent a sexually dimorphic feature, and for some species, spurs can reliably be used to identify the sex of a snake. [4]

References
  1. Pough, F. Harvey; Andrews, Robin M.; Cadle, John E.; Crump, Martha L.; Savitsky, Alan H.; Wells, Kentwood D. (2003). Herpetology: Third Edition (3 ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN 9780131008496.
  2. Gillingham, James C.; Chambers, Jeffrey A. (1982-02-23). "Courtship and Pelvic Spur Use in the Burmese Python, Python molurus bivittatus". Copeia. 1982 (1): 193–196. doi:10.2307/1444292. JSTOR 1444292.
  3. Carpenter, Charles C.; Murphy, James B.; Mitchell, Lyndon A. (June 1978). "Combat Bouts with Spur Use in the Madagascan Boa (Sanzinia madagascariensis)". Herpetologica. 34 (2): 207–212. JSTOR 3891678.
  4. Hoefer, Sebastian; Robinson, Nathan J.; Pinou, Theodora. "Size matters: Sexual dimorphism in the pelvic spurs of the Bahamian Boa (Chilabothrus strigilatus strigilatus)". Herpetology Notes. 14: 201–203.
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