Anomalepidae: Similar to the related families Typhlopidae and Leptotypholidae, the anomalepids are small snakes (usually <30 cm) with blunt heads and short, blunt tails. Due to their burrowing life style their eyes are vestigial. In addition, they lack enlarged ventral scales as other snakes. Anomalepids share toothed, movable maxilla with typhlopids but differ in lacking pelvic vestiges and in having the prefrontal bones extend poteriorly over the orbits, which is unique among squamates. The dentary rarely bears more than a single tooth. |