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List of Lacertilia families

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Lizards
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: Lepidosauria
Order: Squamata
Günther, 1867

This is a list of the extant lizard families. Lizards are an informal group of squamates.

Taxonomy

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There are five infraorders which separate the lizards, these are: Diploglossa, Gekkota, Iguania, Platynota and Scincomorpha. This separation is based mainly on morphological similarities between family groups.

The Diploglossans and Platynotans are two closely related infraorders which are very diverse families. Very few generalisations can be placed upon these families morphologically. Many species are limbless, while others have fully formed limbs. It is believed that these lizards are the closest lizard relation to the snakes.

The Gekkotans are the second most diverse group of lizards. They can be morphologically distinguished by the absence of temporal arches, which allows greater moveability of the head. Most species also have cloacal sacs and fixed eyelids.

The Iguanians are another diverse group of lizards. All iguanians are fully limbed. Most species ambush their prey, capture it with their tongue and have skin modification, such as crests and fans, used for many different reasons.

The Scincomorphs are the most diverse group of lizards, accounting for almost half the species of lizards. The major distinguishing morphological feature of the Scincomorphs, is the presence of unsocketed teeth on the inner face of the jaw bones. They also lack the skin modifications present in many of the iguanians. This family contains varying degrees of limb reduction, from completely formed limbs to completely absent of limbs.

As with most taxonomic classifications, there are many different interpretations of the evolutionary relationships. These include moving of families to different infraorders, merging or splitting of the infraorders and merging and splitting of the families.

Diploglossa
Family Common Names Example Species Example Photo
Anguidae
Oppel, 1811
Glass lizards Slowworm (Anguis fragilis)
Anniellidae
Gray, 1852
American legless lizards California legless lizard (Anniella pulchra)
Xenosauridae
Cope, 1866
Knob-scaled lizards Chinese crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus)
Gekkota
Family Common Names Example Species Example Photo
Dibamidae
Boulenger, 1884
Blind lizards Dibamus nicobaricum -
Gekkonidae
Gray, 1825
Geckos Thick-tailed Gecko (Underwoodisaurus milii)
Pygopodidae
Boulenger, 1884
Legless lizards Burton's legless lizard (Lialis burtonis) -
Iguania
Family Common Names Example Species Example Photo
Agamidae
Spix, 1825
Agamas Eastern bearded dragon (Pogona barbata)
Chamaeleonidae
Gray, 1825
Chameleons Veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus)
Corytophanidae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
Casquehead lizards Plumed basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons)
Crotaphytidae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
Collared and leopard lizards Common collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris)
Hoplocercidae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
Wood lizards or clubtails Club tail iguana (Hoplocercus spinosus) -
Iguanidae Iguanas Marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)
Leiosauridae
Frost et al., 2001
- Darwin's iguana (Diplolaemus darwinii) -
Opluridae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
Madagascan iguanas Chalarodon (Chalarodon madagascariensis) -
Phrynosomatidae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
Earless, spiny, tree, side-blotched and horned lizards Greater earless lizard (Cophosaurus texanus)
Polychrotidae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
Anoles Caronlina anole (Anolis carolinensis)
Tropiduridae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
Neotropical ground lizards (Microlophus peruvianus)
Platynota
Family Common Names Example Species Example Photo
Helodermatidae Gila monsters Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum)
Lanthanotidae Earless Monitor Earless Monitor (Lanthanotus borneensis) -
Varanidae Monitors lizards Perentie (Varanus giganteus)
Scincomorpha
Family Common Names Example Species Example Photo
Cordylidae Spinytail lizards Girdle-tailed lizard (Cordylus warreni)
Gerrhosauridae Plated lizards Sudan Plated Lizard (Gerrhosaurus major)
Gymnophthalmidae Spectacled lizards - -
Lacertidae
Oppel, 1811
Wall or true lizards Ocellated Lizard (Lacerta lepida)
Scincidae
Oppel, 1811
Skinks Western Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua occipitalis)
Teiidae Tegus or whiptails Blue Tegu (Tupinambis teguixin)
Xantusiidae Night lizards Granite Night Lizard (Xantusia henshawi)

References

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  • Cogger, H.G.; R.G. Zweifel; D. Kirschner (2004). Encyclopedia of Reptiles & Amphibians Second Edition. Fog City Press. ISBN 1-877019-69-0.
  • "Tropiduridae". Archived from the original on 2006-04-18. Retrieved 2006-05-30.