Amphisbaenia
E537736
Amphisbaenia is a group of limbless or nearly limbless, burrowing reptiles often called worm lizards, known for their elongated bodies and subterranean lifestyle.
Statements (51)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
clade
ⓘ
suborder ⓘ |
| bodyPlan | head-first burrower morphology ⓘ |
| class | Reptilia NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| commonName | worm lizards ⓘ |
| containsFamily |
Amphisbaenidae
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Bipedidae NERFINISHED ⓘ Blanidae NERFINISHED ⓘ Rhineuridae NERFINISHED ⓘ Trogonophidae NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| diet | carnivorous ⓘ |
| distinguishedFrom |
snakes by skin and skull morphology
ⓘ
typical lizards by limb reduction and burrowing specializations ⓘ |
| divergenceFromLizards | distinct lineage within Squamata ⓘ |
| eats |
insects
ⓘ
other invertebrates ⓘ small vertebrates ⓘ |
| fossilRecord | Cretaceous origin suggested by fossils ⓘ |
| geographicDistribution |
Africa
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Europe NERFINISHED ⓘ Middle East NERFINISHED ⓘ North America NERFINISHED ⓘ South America NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| habitat |
deserts
ⓘ
forest soils ⓘ grasslands ⓘ loose soils ⓘ semiarid regions ⓘ |
| hasCharacteristic |
adaptation for moving through soil
ⓘ
annulated body scales ⓘ burrowing lifestyle ⓘ elongated body ⓘ fossorial behavior ⓘ heavily ossified skull ⓘ limbless or nearly limbless body ⓘ reduced or absent limbs ⓘ short tail ⓘ skin loosely attached to body ⓘ subterranean lifestyle ⓘ tail that can resemble the head ⓘ |
| kingdom | Animalia ⓘ |
| movementType | concertina locomotion underground ⓘ |
| order | Squamata NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| phylum | Chordata ⓘ |
| reproduction |
oviparous in most species
ⓘ
some species viviparous ⓘ |
| sensoryAdaptation |
enhanced tactile senses
ⓘ
reduced external ears ⓘ reduced eyes ⓘ reliance on chemosensory cues ⓘ |
| taxonRank | suborder ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.