IS THIS A SNAKE OR A LEGLESS LIZARD?

Do you know that some of the “snakes” you have seen may not really be snakes? They may be lizards that have lost their limbs through years of evolution. They look a lot like snakes --- they slither and have long, slender, cylindrical bodies; forked tongues and scaly exteriors. But these lizards evolved from four-legged lizards, the ones you already know, while snakes evolved from four-legged snakes that you most likely haven’t seen.

Photo By Marek

It is when you look at a legless lizard very closely, that you will notice the physical characteristics that make it different from a snake. Unlike a snake, a legless lizard has moveable eyelids; external ear openings and an inflexible jaw. It also has chisel-like teeth instead of fangs.  Whereas a snake can move with its sides and belly scales, a legless lizard moves with only its sides.

In terms of behaviour, a legless lizard has a defensive mechanism that is similar to that of a legged lizard. It sheds off its tail, which wiggles and breaks into smaller pieces, to distract any predator that is after it and then runs away.

Although this lizard is long, the tail makes up about two-third of its length while the remaining one-third is the actual body (a snake’s tail is two-third of its length).

“Legless Lizard” is the common name for the family Pygopodidae but is also often used to refer to other groups of limbless lizards such as anguids.

Source:

• Layton, Julia.  "What\u0027s the difference between a snake and a legless lizard?"  01 July 2008.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/zoology/reptiles-amphibians/legless-lizard-vs-snake.htm> 22 October 2013.
•    Wikipedia