urostege

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In herpetology, one of the large special scales or scutes, generally alternating or two-rowed, which cover the under side of the tail of a snake, as the gastrosteges cover the abdomen. The number and disposition of the urosteges furnish zoölogical characters in many cases. Compare gastrostege.

Wiktionary

1. n. zoology One of the plates on the underside of a snake's tail.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Zoöl.) One of the plates on the under side of the tail of a serpent.