Talk:Snake scale

message: Hi, am deploying a more or less full-fledged article rather than a stub. This is version 0.7 of User:AshLin/Snake scales. Request peer review. I really want this article to reach Wikipedia:Good Article status. Thanks to Jwinius for special encouragement. AshLin 11:20, 14 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Snake scales

message: I think the writing is spotty, much of the article is excellent, while other sections are not written in an encyclopedic tone.  The lead section mostly makes claims about the function of scales (unsupported), when it might better summarise the topics covered in the body of the article.
An example of a problematic sentence: "Snakes can also 'hear' by sensing vibrations with their lower jaw and belly scales.[citation needed]". I am fairly sure that I can find a reference to support the statement that "Snakes can also 'hear' by sensing vibrations with their lower jaw and belly", it's the scales part that might be problematic.  Is it really that scales that allow for the sensation of vibration, or is this a fact about snakes that has been shoe-horned into an article on snake scales?
The section "Use of scales in distinguishing between venomous and non-venous snakes" (venous?!), seems really just a subset of cases of the use of scale patterns in typing to species, which is covered by the section "Taxonomic importance" (which could use a better title, maybe "use of scales in identifying species" or somethting more descriptive).  Having a special section on venomous vs. non-venomous snakes seems gratuitous.  Sentences such as "Handling of live snakes by persons other than trained handlers for identification or any other reason is not advised." seem out of place in an article on snake scales, and typos in this section should be fixed. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Pete.Hurd (talk • contribs) 19:16, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: The GA reviewer's comments have been addressed by me and the article resubmitted for GA status. AshLin 09:51, 24 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Addressed your comments, however IMHO that in a snake scales articles the names of the various types of snake scales should stand out prominently. Other extra bolding has been done away with.AshLin 09:44, 27 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: GA feedback

message: I just fixed that up a bit, with a citation.  Might not have anything to do with the scales, but nobody knows for sure. --Zeizmic 02:07, 19 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Snake hearing

message: Skinks and many lizards seem to have UV reflective scales apart from being visually sensitive to UV. I am unable to find references to similar functions in snakes. Do they exist here ? Shyamal 10:43, 24 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Although no references are cited, if this article is correct, the phenomenon does occur in at least some snakes. In my 1997 edition of Klauber's Rattlesnakes, he states that Atkins (1948) reported that rattlesnakes and copperheads flouresce a bright green under ultraviolet light. Klauber himself, however, could not confirm this. He tested a number of rattlesnake subspecies, including ruber, helleri, lutosus, cerastes and lateropens, but could detect no flourescense. Only the rattles had a slight flourescense, which was usually yellowish. Also, he found that the fangs flouresced brightly, with a light-green color. --Jwinius 12:25, 24 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Very interesting. Thanks. I found a citation for it. Shyamal 12:49, 24 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: UV reflectance

message: I have passed this article according to the Good Article Criteria.  Thanks for getting all those changes done so fast – excellent work.  With regard to the bolding, that's fine with me.  Be prepared to defend it if you ever take it to FA - there will be people like me who would think that the bolding is in excess. Make sure that the article maintains its high quality, and consider going to WP:AAR to get help to bring it to FA, if you so desire.  Nice job taking it from here all the way to where it is now.  If you have time, consider doing a review or two at GAC to reduce backlog.  Again, very nice work! Cheers, Corvus coronoides 21:34, 28 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  GA Passed 

message: The article says that snakes scales overlap head to tail- surely the head scales don't?  they appear to fit next to each other? IceDragon64 23:09, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I don't believe the article makes such a claim, but if it did, I think that would depend on the species. Many snakes, such as colubrids and elapids, have enlarged head scales, or plates, that border each other, but, indeed, do not overlap. With others, such as vipers, these plates have largely fragmented into smaller scales that definitely overlap; e.g. Atheris (with image). --Jwinius 23:46, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Overlap?

message: There are several references to snakes being "born". Those from eggs are hatched, rather than born, and I'm not sure that "born" is appropriate even for those where the eggs hatch internally. Also "baby" snake grates. Isn't there some snake equivalent to "chick", or failing that, why not say "newly hatched? Jimfbleak 07:59, 27 August 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: There is nothing wrong with using the term "born" in this context; it is used throughout the relevant literature to describe the event. Snakes either give birth or lay eggs. If the implication is that only placental mammals can be "born," that would definitely be incorrect. "Baby" or "babies" is not a term that authors seem to use too often to describe young snakes, but it is sometimes, and it is certainly not incorrect. For the ovoviviparous species, the terms "newborns" and "neonates" are more frequently applied, with "hatchlings" used for the oviparous species. "Young" can apply to both. Otherwise, there is no specific term for young snakes akin to "chick," "calf," "lamb" or "foal". --Jwinius 11:55, 27 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Born?

message: Another image that may be of help. Shyamal 11:40, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Image

message: This is a very impressive series of articles--would anybody knowledgable on this subject be able to put something (anything!) together on reptilian scales in general? Covering things like lizaards, crocs, bird feet, etc. At the moment this subject is limited to a single line on Scale (zoology) which lists this as the main article (incorrectly, as 'snake scales' is a bit too specific). Thanks! Dinoguy2 (talk) 17:14, 14 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Reptile scales 

message: Please see the dead links on this page. Need changing. AshLin (talk) 17:18, 11 February 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  To do list - dead links 

message: This article has just undergone a reassessment as part of the GA SWEEPS. Several substantial problems have been identified and must be fixed if the article is to keep its GA status, see the reassessment here. If the issues presented are not remedied within 7 days, the article will be delisted. If there are any comments or queries, please contact me. ✽ Juniper§ Liege (TALK) 20:18, 18 February 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks for the hard work, Ashlin; article passed. ✽ Juniper§ Liege (TALK) 00:35, 22 February 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Commencing GA reassessment per WP:SWEEPS 

message: I was just going through some old records, and the Keeled scales page popped out at me.  Probably should be merged here, I think. Mokele (talk) 02:49, 25 September 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Keeled scales are not restricted only to scales hence I recommend retaining status quo. AshLin (talk) 03:26, 25 September 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  [[Keeled scales]] merge?