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Legless Lizards (but not Snakes)

Updated: Oct 19

Nature offers a wide variety of animal specimens. These come in all sorts of shapes, colors, behavior, and habitat. Though many are able to be identified at a passing glance, there are some species that are deceptive in appearance.



One such animal is the Legless Lizard. Legless Lizard, you may be thinking, "That's just a snake, right?" And though they are both reptiles without visible legs, there are key differences to note that differentiate them from one another.


One such notable difference is the tongue. Snakes have a forked tongue, but Legless Lizards have a blunted tongue. In addition, you won't find legless lizards sticking out their tongues the same way snakes do in order to

smell. Snakes smell using an organ inside their mouth called a Jacobson's Organ. Lizards, on the other hand, have smell receptors inside their nostrils.



Another distinguishing feature is the eyes. Snakes do not have eyelids, but the legless lizard, however, does. Another feature that separates these animals is the presence of visible ears. Lizards will have visible holes where their ears are, whereas snakes' ears are covered by scales and not outwardly visible.



Zoology looks forward to adding a Legless Lizard to our team of ambassador animals in the coming weeks, and we hope you'll find these unique reptiles as captivating as we do!

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