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Amphisbaenidae

Family of reptiles

Amphisbaenidae
Summary

Family of reptiles

12 extant, see text

The Amphisbaenidae (common name: worm lizards) are a family of amphisbaenians, a group of limbless reptiles. There are 12 genera, containing 183 species.

Geographic range

Amphisbaenids occur in South America, some Caribbean islands, Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Taxonomy

One deep-branching and somewhat aberrant genus, Blanus, is native to Europe, and may represent a distinct family. More recent sources indeed place it in the family Blanidae.

Description

Members of the family Amphisbaenidae are limbless, burrowing reptiles with carnivorous diets. As in other amphisbaenians, the body bears rings of scales, which gives amphisbaenids a worm-like appearance. The head is massively constructed and used for burrowing, with powerful jaws and large, recurved teeth used for seizing prey. Some species have a spade-like head, while others have a narrow keel on the head, and still others have a rounded skull.

Extant genera

Chirindia langi]]''

183 extant species are in the family, grouped into 12 genera:

  • Amphisbaena Linnaeus, 1758
  • Ancylocranium Parker, 1942
  • Baikia Gray, 1865
  • Chirindia Boulenger, 1907
  • Cynisca A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1839
  • Dalophia Gray, 1865
  • Geocalamus Günther, 1880
  • Leposternon Wagler, 1824
  • Loveridgea Tornier, 1899
  • Mesobaena Mertens, 1925
  • Monopeltis A. Smith, 1848
  • Zygaspis Cope, 1885

Fossil genera

A number of extinct taxa are known from the fossil record:

  • †Campinosaurus
  • †Listromycter
  • †Lophocranion
  • †Platyrhachis

References

References

  1. Gans C. (1998). "Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians". Academic Press.
  2. Mason, Matthew J.. (2003-08-01). "Morphology of the middle ear of golden moles (Chrysochloridae)". Journal of Zoology.
  3. Mason, Matthew J.. (2001-01-01). "Seismic Signal Use by Fossorial Mammals". American Zoologist.
  4. [[species:Síria Ribeiro. Ribeiro, Síria]]; [[species:Wilian Vaz-Silva. Vaz-Silva, Wilian]]; [[species:Alfredo Pedroso dos Santos Jr.. Santos, Alfredo P., Jr.]] (2008). "New pored ''Leposternon'' (Squamata, Amphisbaenia) from Brazilian Cerrado". ''Zootaxa'' '''1930''': 18-38. ("''Leposternon'' Wagler, 1824", p. 18).
  5. "Amphisbaenidae Gray 1865". Fossilworks.
  6. {{NRDB family. (1 February). (2017)
Wikipedia Source

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