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Wormlizards: Amphisbaenidae

Geographic Range

Wormlizards live in both the western and eastern hemispheres, including South America, Central America, the West Indies, Africa, Asia, and Europe. They tend to live in tropical areas or in spots with a slightly less warm, subtropical climate.

IS IT A WORM OR A LIZARD?

Is a wormlizard more like a worm that looks like a lizard, or a lizard that looks like a worm? Animals are split into two major groups: vertebrates, which have backbones, and invertebrates, which do not have backbones. Wormlizards and lizards have backbones, but earthworms do not, so wormlizards are more like lizards than earthworms. In fact, both wormlizards and lizards are reptiles, but wormlizards are not true lizards. Instead, wormlizards are a unique group of reptiles that mostly live underground, have rings of scales separated by shallow grooves, and have a number of other characteristics that separate them from the lizards.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceDinosaurs, Snakes, and Other ReptilesWormlizards: Amphisbaenidae - Physical Characteristics, Geographic Range, Diet, Behavior And Reproduction, White-bellied Wormlizard (amphisbaena Alba): Species Account - HABITAT, WORMLIZARDS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS