Pygopodidae
Pygopodidae | |
---|---|
Lialis burtonis
| |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Superfamily: | Pygopodoidea |
Family: | Pygopodidae Boulenger, 1884[1] |
Subfamilies | |
2, See text | |
Geographic range of the family Pygopodidae in Australia and New Guinea. |
Pygopodidae, commonly known as snake-lizards, or flap-footed lizards, are a
subfamilies and eight genera. They have unusually long, slender bodies, giving them a strong resemblance to snakes. Like snakes and most geckos, they have no eyelids, but unlike snakes, they have external ear holes and flat, unforked tongues.[3] They are native to Australia and New Guinea.[4]
Pygopodids have no fore limbs at all, but they do possess
spinifex
or other vegetation.
The pygopodids and other geckos share a number of characteristics:
- the production of parchment-shelled
- the ability to lick clean the clear spectacles that cover their lidless eyes;[7]
- vocalization sounds like the common gecko “harsh squeak”.[6]
- skull anatomy
- inner ears anatomy[4]
- communal nests. Some nests have been found to have as many as 30 eggs.
Differences from snakes
Legless lizards are often killed due to their similar appearance to snakes.[6] A number of external characteristics can be used to distinguish legless lizards (including the hooded scaly-foot) from snakes:[8][6][7]
- Flap-footed lizards have vestigial hind limbs.
- Legless lizards have broad, fleshy tongues, dissimilar from the forked tongues of snakes.
- Most legless lizards have external ears.
- Ventral scales are in a paired series.
- Unbroken tails in legless lizards are much longer than the body, whereas snake bodies are longer than their tails.
- Can vocalise, snakes can not.
Hearing
Pygopodids can hear tones higher than any other reptiles. Individuals in the species the highest note on a standard piano.[9]
Taxonomy
Pygopodidae is one of several taxonomic families of
geckos, and is most closely related to two other Australian gecko families Carphodactylidae and Diplodactylidae.[5][6][4]
Classification
FAMILY PYGOPODIDAE
- Subfamily Lialisinae
- Tribe Lialisini
- Genus Lialis (two species)
- Tribe Lialisini
- Subfamily Pygopodinae
See also
- Limbless vertebrates
References
- ^ "Pygopodidae". Dahms Tierleben. www.dahmstierleben.de/systematik/Reptilien/Squamata/Gekkota/Pygopodidae.
- PMID 22761794.
- ^ ISBN 0-12-178560-2.
- ^ a b c Shea, Glenn. "Fauna of Australia: Family Pygopodidae" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 August 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- ^ JSTOR 1444884.
- ^ a b c d e Wilson, Steve (2003). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia. New Holland: Reed.
- ^ a b Wilson, Steve (2005). A Field Guide to Reptiles of Queensland. Australia: New Holland.
- ^ Hoser, Raymond (1989). Australian Reptiles and Frogs. Pierson & Co.
- S2CID 17996056.
Further reading
Wikispecies has information related to Pygopodidae.
- Boulenger GA (1884). "Synopsis of the Families of existing Lacertilia". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Fifth Series 14: 117–122. (Pygopodidae, new family, p. 119).
- ISBN 0-7167-0020-4. (Family Pygopodidae, pp. 285–286).
- Kluge AG (1974). "A taxonomic revision of the lizard family Pygopodidae". Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan (147): 1–221.