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Amphisbaenidae:
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. . Burrowing; The blunt-cone or bullet-headed genera (e.g., Amphisbaena, Blanus, Cadea Zygaspis) burrow by simple head-ramming. The spade-snouted taxa (Leposternon, Monopeltis) tip the head downward, thrust forward, and then lift the head. The Iaterally compressed keeled-headed taxa (Anops, Ancylocranium) ram their heads forward, then alternately swing it to the teft and right (Zug 1993). |
