Sites

Amphisbaenidae - English
URL: http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/users/haaramo/Metazoa/Deuterostoma/Chordata/Reptilia

Phylogenetic tree.

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Terrestrial Ecoregions -- Western Zambezian grasslands - English
URL: http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/at/at0724_full.html

The reptile and amphibian fauna of the ecoregion falls into a broad transition zone between the tropical fauna which has its center in the Moçambique Plain, and the Cape fauna of southwestern South Africa. Elements of the adjoining ecoregions, as well as more widespread species, are represented here, with a total of 34 reptiles and 14 amphibians native to the ecoregion. No endemic species are known from the ecoregion. Dalophia ellenbergeri, a wedge-snouted worm-lizard, was thought until recently to occur only in a small part of the upper Barotse floodplain, but has since been found more than 300 km away in Angola.

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Worm Lizards (Amphisbaenidae) - English
URL: http://www.embl-heidelberg.de/~uetz/families/Amphisbaenidae.html

Amphisbaenians are limbless squamates whoses pectoral and pelvic girdles have been significantly reduced or are absent. Usually they have a distinctly annulated pattern of scutellation and rather short tails. Amphisbaenids are adapted to a burrowing life style and accordingly, their skulls are heavily ossified and their brain is entirely surrounded by the frontal bones. In contrast to other limbless lizards or snakes, which have a reduced left lung, the right lung of amphisbaenians is reduced in size. List of Genera.

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