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The Glass Lizard

Dear Reader,

The following post will talk about the European legless lizard.


Evolving from a different lineage of legless lizards than did snakes, the Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus apodus) or Sheltopusik shows vestigiality with small rear leg stubs (something some think of as an adaptation which assists with burrowing) and the skeletal musculature having traces of shoulders and a pelvis. Sadly it was hiding within a branch so the only picture taken from a fellow student is one with its head barely sticking out.

Ophisaurus apodus

Taken from Biology A Global Approach










Phylum: Chordata 

Class: Reptilia (8200 species)- paraphyletic as it excludes both birds and mammals

 Note-The origin of reptiles lies between 310-320 million years ago in the late Carboniferous period

Order: Squamata (8000 species)- Largest order of reptiles consisting of lizards, snakes, and amphisbaenians.

Family: Anguidae (100 species)

Genus: Pseudopus (one extant species remains)

The lizard inhabits open country like short grassland and can be found throughout Europe and Central Asia. They consume invertebrates with snails and slugs being their favorite meal (sort of counter-intuitive as they prefer dry habitats). It gets its name from how when it displays autotomy (self-amputation, usually as a self-defense mechanism) the tail can break into pieces much like shattered glass.


Until next time,

Sol

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