All Topics  
Pygopodidae

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Pygopodidae
 
 
  Topics Pygopodidae Topic Home

Not to be confused with glass lizard
Glass lizard

The glass lizards or glass snakes, genus Ophisaurus, are a group of reptiles that resemble snakes, but are actually lizards. Although most species have no legs, their head shape and the fact that they have movable eyelids and external ear openings make it obvious that they are lizards....
s.


Pygopodidae (or flap-foots) is a family of legless lizards related to the gecko
Gecko

Geckos are small to average sized lizards belonging to the family Gekkonidae which are found in warm climates throughout the world. Geckos are unique among lizards in their vocalizations, making chirping sounds in social interactions with other geckos....
s. They have unusually long, slender, bodies, giving them a strong resemblance to snake
Snake

Snakes are elongate legless carnivore reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears....
s. Like both snakes and most geckos, they have no eyelids, but unlike snakes, they have external ear-holes and flat, non-forked tongues. They are native to Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 and New Guinea
New Guinea

New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the List of islands by area, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known as the Torres Strait flooded after the last glacial period....
.

Flap-foots have no fore-limbs at all, but they do possess vestigial hind limbs in the form of small, flattened, flaps.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Pygopodidae'
Start a new discussion about 'Pygopodidae'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Not to be confused with glass lizard
Glass lizard

The glass lizards or glass snakes, genus Ophisaurus, are a group of reptiles that resemble snakes, but are actually lizards. Although most species have no legs, their head shape and the fact that they have movable eyelids and external ear openings make it obvious that they are lizards....
s.


Pygopodidae (or flap-foots) is a family of legless lizards related to the gecko
Gecko

Geckos are small to average sized lizards belonging to the family Gekkonidae which are found in warm climates throughout the world. Geckos are unique among lizards in their vocalizations, making chirping sounds in social interactions with other geckos....
s. They have unusually long, slender, bodies, giving them a strong resemblance to snake
Snake

Snakes are elongate legless carnivore reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears....
s. Like both snakes and most geckos, they have no eyelids, but unlike snakes, they have external ear-holes and flat, non-forked tongues. They are native to Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 and New Guinea
New Guinea

New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the List of islands by area, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known as the Torres Strait flooded after the last glacial period....
.

Flap-foots have no fore-limbs at all, but they do possess vestigial hind limbs in the form of small, flattened, flaps. These may have some role in courtship and defensive behaviour, and may even aid in locomotion through vegetation. Some species are insectivorous
Insectivore

An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures.Although individually small, insects exist in enormous numbers and make up a very large part of the animal biomass in almost all non-marine environments....
 burrowing animals, but others are adapted to moving through dense spinifex
Spinifex

Spinifex may refer to:* Spinifex , a genus of grass which is indigenous to the coastal areas of Australasia and Indonesia.* Spinifex, Triodia , a hummock grass of arid Australia, covering twenty per cent of the Australian continent....
 or other vegetation. Flap-foots lay two eggs in each clutch.

Classification

FAMILY PYGOPODIDAE
  • Subfamily Pygopodinae
    • Genus Paradelma
      Paradelma

      The genus Paradelma contains glossy brownish grey legless lizards, native to Australia.Species:* Paradelma orientalis ...
    • Genus Pygopus
      Pygopus

      Pygopus is a genus belonging to the family of Australian legless lizards. Members of this genus are also called Scalyfoot.Classification of the genus Pygopus...
    • Genus Delma
      Delma

      Delma is a genus of lizards in the family Pygopodidae.Genus Delma*Delma australis*Delma borea*''Delma butleri*''Delma elegans...


  • Subfamily Lialisinae
    • Tribus Lialisini
      • Genus Lialis
        Lialis

        Lialis is a genus of lizards in the family Pygopodidae.Genus Lialis*Lialis burtonis*        Lialis jicari...
    • Tribus Aprasiaini
      • Subtribus Pletholaxini
        • Genus Pletholax
          Pletholax

          Pletholax is a genus of lizards in the family Pygopodidae.Genus Pletholax*Pletholax gracilis...
      • Subtribus Aprasiaini
        • Genus Ophidiocephalus
          Ophidiocephalus

          Ophidiocephalus is a genus of lizards in the family Pygopodidae.Genus Ophidiocephalus*Ophidiocephalus taeniatus...
        • Genus Aprasia
          Aprasia

          Aprasia is a genus of lizards in the family Pygopodidae.Genus Aprasia*          Aprasia aurita*''Aprasia haroldi*''Aprasia inaurita*''Aprasia parapulchella...


See also

  • Limbless vertebrates
    Limbless vertebrates

    Many vertebrates have evolved limbless forms. Reptiles have on a number of occasions evolved into limbless forms - snakes, amphisbaenia, and legless lizards ....