Pygopodidae, commonly known as snake-lizards, or flap-footed lizards, are a family of legless lizards with reduced or absent limbs, and are a type of gecko. At least 35 species are placed in two subfamilies and eight genera. They have unusually long, slender bodies, giving them a strong resemblance to snakes. Like snakes and most geckos, they have no eyelids, but unlike snakes, they have external ear holes and flat, unforked tongues. They are native to Australia and New Guinea.
Aprasia is a genus of lizards in the family Pygopodidae. The genus is endemic to Australia. The species in the genus Aprasia are worm-like, burrowing lizards. At least four of the species are oviparous.
Legless lizard may refer to any of several groups of lizards that have independently lost limbs or reduced them to the point of being of no use in locomotion. It is the common name for the family Pygopodidae. These lizards are often distinguishable from snakes on the basis of one or more of the following characteristics: possessing eyelids, possessing external ear openings, lack of broad belly scales, notched rather than forked tongue, having two more-or-less-equal lungs, and/or having a very long tail.
Aprasia aurita, also called the mallee worm-lizard or eared worm-lizard, is a species of lizard in the Pygopodidae family endemic to Australia; and listed on Schedule 1 under the Commonwealth's Endangered Species Protection Act. It is also listed as "threatened" on Schedule 2 under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act. A. aurita was formerly found in the Woomelang and Ouyen areas of north-western Victoria. Due to human land use, it is now mostly found in 400 ha of Wathe State Wildlife Reserve, north-western Victoria. It has also been found in Cobbler Creek Recreation Park in South Australia and Mambray Creek Reserve. It inhabits tall shrubland and open heath, primarily mallee and other vegetation that has not been burnt for at least 40 years, Shelters under rotting logs, leaf litter and mallee root.
The Flinders Ranges worm-lizard is a species of lizard in the Pygopodidae family endemic to the state of South Australia. The name derives from the Flinders Ranges.
The collared delma or adorned delma is the smallest species of lizard in the Pygopodidae family endemic to Australia. Pygopopdids are legless lizards, so are commonly mistaken for snakes. They are distributed mainly across south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, in both forests and some suburban areas. They are active during the day, seen foraging and hunting for small insects.
Paradelma orientalis, commonly known as the Brigalow scaly-foot or Queensland snake-lizard, is a species of legless lizard in the family Pygopodidae. It is endemic to Australia and is the only species in the monotypic genus Paradelma.
Burton's legless lizard is a species of lizard in the family Pygopodidae. The species lacks forelegs and has only rudimentary hind legs. Pygopodid lizards are also referred to as "legless lizards", "flap-footed lizards" and "snake-lizards". This species is native to Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The pink-tailed worm-lizard or granite worm-lizard is a rare legless lizard found in Australia. The animal looks like a combination of small snake and worm. Its total length is up to 14 cm. It has a pink tail and is white underneath. The head and neck are brown, and the rest of the top of the body is pale grey. Scales on the back each have a dark bar, giving the appearance of dots down the back. It is found on two hills near Tarcutta, Bathurst, New South Wales, Bendigo in Victoria, and along the sides of the Molonglo River and Murrumbidgee River and on Mount Taylor in the Australian Capital Territory. The lizards eat invertebrates that live under rocks. They can be found under rocks sized from 0.15 to 0.6 m. Their main diet is ant eggs, particularly from Iridomyrmex species and Rhytidoponera metallica.
The Mallee military dragon, also commonly known as the Mallee dragon and the Mallee sand-dragon, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is native to the arid parts of southern Australia.
The eastern hooded scaly-foot or eastern scaly-foot is a species of flap-footed lizard found in the complex heaths of the lower west coast and the spinifex grasslands of mainland Australia. They are popular pets and are often mistaken for snakes due to their limbless appearance.
The Delma australis is often known as the southern legless lizard, or the marble-faced delma. This terrestrial lizard falls into the category of slender Pygopodidae, a legless lizard. There are 21 known species in the Pygopdidae family in Australia. Marble-faced delmas are endemic to Australia. Delma australis was first described by Kluge in 1974.
Delma butleri, also known commonly as Butler's legless lizard, Butler's scalyfoot, the spinifex snake-lizard, and the unbanded delma, is a species of lizard in the family Pygopodidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The excitable delma is a species of lizard in the Pygopodidae family endemic to Australia. The lizard gets its name from its active and jumpy defense mechanism. It will erratically jump multiple times in succession, each jump pivoting its body in a different direction. D. tincta is a slender, long legless lizard that through evolution lost its limbs. It is found throughout Australia in a variety of habitats, and spends most of its time hiding. Due to its nocturnal nature, it is rare to spot in the wild. This legless lizard is small to moderate in size, with a tail that is three to four times its body length. The typical size of the excitable delma is 250 – 300 mm. This lizard is an insectivore and feeds on insects it finds when travelling through grass, logs, surface soil, and loose rocks. Like all pygopodids, the excitable delma is oviparous and only lays two eggs per clutch.
The Shark Bay worm-lizard, also known commonly as Harold's legless skink, is a species of lizard in the family Pygopodidae. The species is endemic to the Shark Bay region in Western Australia, Australia. It is a limbless lizard found burrowing in loose soil in arid areas.
The Zuytdorp worm-lizard, also known commonly as Smith's legless lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Pygopodidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The striated worm-lizard is a species of legless lizard in the family Pygopodidae. It is endemic to southern Australia. Commonly known as Striated worm-lizard but has also been referred to as the Striped or Lined worm-lizard due to its pattern of long, thin parallel streaks. Some populations such as those in WA and Kangaroo Island may have absent stripes or the lines present as lines of dots.
The yellow-tailed plain slider is a species of skink located primarily in the desert areas of South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales in Australia. This uncommon lizard can be identified by its bright yellow tail, and is usually found buried under loose soil, tree stumps and leaf litter.
Ctenophorus spinodomus commonly known as Eastern Mallee Dragon, is a species of agamid lizard endemic to the arid and semi-arid regions of southeastern Australia. Belonging to the genus Ctenophorus, which comprises a diverse group of 35 species this small lizard is characterised by striking colours and unique behaviours. Commonly known as dragon lizards, spinodomus is derived from the Greek words "spinos" (thorn) and "domos" (house), referring to its preference for burrowing habitats among spiny vegetation. They are curious creatures and can be found darting between the safety of Triodia grass clumps or basking on the red sand.
The olive legless lizard is a species of legless gecko from the Pygopodidae family. This species is commonly found throughout the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland and southeastern South Australia, mostly inhabiting areas consisting of dry to temperate southern grasslands and grassy woodlands.
