Tectal projections of an infrared sensitive snake, Crotalus viridis

Crotaline snakes have detectors for infrared radiation and this information is projected to the optic tectum in a spatiotopic manner. The tectal projections were examined in Crotalus viridis with the use of silver methods for degenerating fibers and the autoradiographic and horseradish peroxidase tracing methods. Large lesions included all of the tectal layers but not the underlying structures. Projections to the thalamus include a sparse input to the ipsilateral ventral and dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei, the ventromedial nucleus, and nucleus lentiformis thalami. Nucleus rotundus was not detected. The projections to the pretectal nuclei are primarily ipsilateral to the nucleus lentiformis mesencephali and pretectal nucleus. At the level of the mesencephalon, tectal efferents are bilateral to nucleus profundus mesencephali and the tegmentum. There is minimal input to the contralateral deep tectal layers. There are ipsilateral terminations in a nucleus identified as the posterolateral tegmental nucleus. Descending fibers include the two major tracts--the ventral tectobulbar tract that terminates in the ipsilateral lateral reticular formation and the predorsal bundle that distributes throughout the contralateral medial reticular formation. Two small descending tracts were noted--the intermediate and dorsal tectobulbar tracts. All of these descending tracts appear to terminate by the time they reach the caudal medulla. After superficial lesions terminals could be found in the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus, the nucleus profundus mesencephali, and the posterolateral tegmental nucleus; the two major descending tracts contained degenerated fibers as well. The areas receiving tectal input in Crotalus were compared to those of other reptiles and discussed.