| Gerrhosauridae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Broadleysaurus major | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Infraorder: | Scincomorpha |
| Clade: | Cordyliformes |
| Family: | Gerrhosauridae Fitzinger, 1843 |
The Gerrhosauridae are a family of lizards native to Africa and Madagascar. They are close relatives of skinks and were once classified in the same family as them. [1]
Also known as plated lizards, species in the family Gerrhosauridae live in a range of habitats, from rocky crevices to sand dunes. [1]
Their form is variable, some species having four fully developed limbs, and others having vestigial hind limbs only. [1]
Family Gerrhosauridae
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.
Cordylidae is a family of small- to medium-sized lizards that occur in southern and eastern Africa. They are commonly known as girdled lizards, spinytail lizards, or girdle-tail lizards.
Gymnophthalmidae is a family of lizards with at least 250 species, sometimes known commonly as spectacled lizards or microteiids. They are called "spectacled" because of their transparent lower eyelids, which allow them to still see with closed eyes. As in most lizards, except geckos, these eyelids are movable. The Alopoglossidae have been recently moved from this family.
Anguidae refers to a large and diverse family of lizards native to the Northern Hemisphere. Common characteristics of this group include a reduced supratemporal arch, striations on the medial faces of tooth crowns, osteoderms, and a lateral fold in the skin of most taxa. The group is divided into two living subfamilies, the legless Anguinae, which contains slow worms and glass lizards, among others, found across the Northern Hemisphere, and Gerrhonotinae, which contains the alligator lizards, native to North and Central America. The family Diploglossidae was also formerly included. The family contains about 87 species in 8 genera.
The genus Cordylus includes a wide variety of species of small to medium spiny lizards from Africa, collectively called girdle-tailed lizards or girdled lizards. All are diurnal and ovoviviparous. Most species are rupicolous (rock-dwelling), while a few species are arboreal or live in burrows. They defend themselves with osteoderms and by quickly retreating into rock crevices or burrows. Many species live in groups, and males defend territories.
Feylinia boulengeri is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to Central Africa.
Sepsina is a genus of skinks. The genus is endemic to southern Africa.
Typhlosaurus is a genus of African lizards, one of a number of genera of limbless lizards in the skink family (Scincidae). This group was recently revised with most species formerly attributed to Typhlosaurus now placed in Acontias. The current definition of Typhlosaurus includes five attenuate body legless lizards from southwestern Africa. This is the sister genus to Acontias, which together form the well supported Afrotropical subfamily Acontinae.
Tetradactylus is a genus of lizards in the family Gerrhosauridae. The genus is endemic to Africa.
Tracheloptychus is a small genus of lizards in the family Gerrhosauridae. The genus is endemic to Madagascar.
Zonosaurus is a genus of lizards in the family Gerrhosauridae.
Colobosaura is a genus of lizard, endemic to South America, in the family Gymnophthalmidae.
The minor snake-eyed skink is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to Asia.
Ristella beddomii, commonly known as Beddome's cat skink and Beddome's ristella, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to southwestern India.
Koelliker's glass lizard, also called commonly the Moroccan glass lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Anguidae. The species is native to western North Africa.
Tetradactylus breyeri, commonly known as Breyer's long-tailed seps or Breyer's whip lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Gerrhosauridae. The species is endemic to South Africa.
Thwaites's skink, also known commonly as the fourtoe snakeskink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka.
Nessia layardi, commonly known as Layard's snake skink or Layard's nessia, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka.
Crossobamon eversmanni, also known commonly as the comb-toed gecko, is a species of Asian gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae.
The black file snake, also known commonly as the dwarf file snake or the Nyassa file snake, is a species of snake in the subfamily Lamprophiinae of the family Lamprophiidae. The species is endemic to Africa.