The
labial scales are the scales of
snakes and other
scaled reptiles that border the mouth opening. These do not include the median scales on the upper and lower jaws (
rostral and
mental scales). The term
labial originates from
Labium (Latin for "lip"), which refers to any lip-like structure. In snakes, there are two different types of labial scales: supralabials and sublabials. The numbers of these scales present, and sometimes the shapes and sizes, are some of many characteristics used to differentiate species from one another.