Pygopodidae

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Pygopodidae
Lialis burtonis
Scientific classification Edit this 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.

Shared gecko characteristics

The pygopodids and other geckos share a number of characteristics:

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

Pygopus lepidopodus

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

See also

  • Limbless vertebrates

References

  1. ^ "Pygopodidae". Dahms Tierleben. www.dahmstierleben.de/systematik/Reptilien/Squamata/Gekkota/Pygopodidae.
  2. PMID 22761794
    .
  3. ^ .
  4. ^ a b c Shea, Glenn. "Fauna of Australia: Family Pygopodidae" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 August 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  5. ^
    JSTOR 1444884
    .
  6. ^ a b c d e Wilson, Steve (2003). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia. New Holland: Reed.
  7. ^ a b Wilson, Steve (2005). A Field Guide to Reptiles of Queensland. Australia: New Holland.
  8. ^ Hoser, Raymond (1989). Australian Reptiles and Frogs. Pierson & Co.
  9. S2CID 17996056
    .

Further reading

  • 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).
  • . (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.