Anguid
| Anguidae Temporal range: Late Cretaceous to present |
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|---|---|
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| Anguis fragilis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Anguimorpha |
| Family: |
Anguidae Gray, 1825 |
| Genera | |
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Anguis |
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Anguis
Ophisaurus (glass lizards)
Pseudopus
Celestus
Diploglossus
Dopasia
Ophiodes
Abronia
Barisia
Coloptychon
Elgaria
Gerrhonotus
Mesaspis
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 includes the slowworms, glass lizards, and alligator lizards, among others. The family is divided into three subfamilies (Anguinae, Diploglossinae and Gerrhonotinae), and contains approximately 100 species in ten genera.
Anguids have hard osteoderms beneath their scales giving them an armored appearance. Many of the species have reduced or absent limbs, giving them a snake-like appearance, while others are fully limbed. Body type varies among species, with sizes ranging from 10 cm to 1.5 m. The group includes oviparous and viviparous species, both of which can be observed in a single genus at times.
These lizards are known carnivores or insectivorous foragers, feeding primarily on insects, although larger species have been known to feed on small reptiles and amphibians. They inhabit a wide range of different habitats across the globe, from arid to tropical environments. Most known species are terrestrial or semi-fossorial, with the exception of one arboreal genus, Abronia.
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