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| Burton’s Snake Lizard, Lialis burtonis Gray, 1835 is the most widespread reptile in Australia, as well as occurring in the Aru Islands of Indonesia and the Indonesian portion of New Guinea (southern Irian Jaya). The animal in photo was in the pet trade and its origin is unknown. It specializes in feeding on skinks and has adapted to these smooth, hard body prey by evolving hinged teeth that help it hold onto the slippery lizards. When a tooth hits a hard scale or bone it folds back and allows other teeth that are in areas of soft tissue to penetrate the prey, keeping it from escaping. Like snakes, it has a highly kinetic skull and jaw and an elongated skull that allow it to swallow large prey relatively quickly. But, like geckos it cleans its eye brill with its tongue and vocalizes. |
| The Flap-foots are slender, elongated lizards that are small, rarely exceeding 25 cm in body length. For all practical purposes they are limbless; the forelimbs and pectoral girdle are absent, and the hind limbs remain only as scaly flaps with a vestigial hind limb and pelvic skeleton. Most species have external ear openings (these are never found in snakes); thick fleshy tongues that may be used to clean their eyelids; and their tails are longer than bodies. Currently about 38 species are organized into seven genera and two subfamilies. They are restricted to Australia with one genus, Lialis also occurring on the island of New Guinea (Indonesia). Most species inhabit forest leaf litter and grassy habitats; but at least two genera, Aprasia and Ophidiocephalus are burrowers. Like many lizards they tend to feed on arthropods, but one genus is specialized for feeding on skinks and is convergent with snakes in its feeding habits. Lialis has hinged teeth that allow it to hold onto slippery prey, smooth scaled, hard-bodied skinks. This adaptation is also seen in snakes that feed on skinks. Most species are diurnal, but some are active after dark. All species known lay small clutches of two eggs. The pygopodids have been found to be nested within the Gekkota and they either form the sister group to the Diplodactylidae, or are nested within this family. |