Canthus (herpetology)

The canthus or more precisely the canthus is at the snakes, the angle between the flat top of the head and the sides of the head between the eyes and the tip of the snout. In addition, it is the angle between the supraorbital plates ( Supraoculare ) and the rostral of the snake. The canthus is an important feature for the description and differentiation of snake species and higher taxa, it is ( Viperinae ) very steep while it is clearly rounded in most rattlesnakes (Crotalus ), for example, in many genuine Vipen.

In the amphibians is called with canthus the snout edge, ie the more or less sharp, lateral projection of the snout from its tip to the forehead. It is the surest clue to indicate the position of the nostrils.