What is a Legless Lizard ?
Legless lizards are reptiles. Reptiles are cold blooded, have scales and breath air. They can also be called ‘flap footed’ lizards. This group of lizards has lost their arms, and have no legs apart from small scally flaps where they once were. Legless lizards are not snakes, snakes have slender forked tongues while legless lizards have fleshy tongues, Most speices have a visible ear opening, this is never present on snakes. Legless lizard tails are much longer than their body, while snakes have short tails.
FACT: Many species are nocturnal and difficult to find
FACT: Legless lizards are closely related to geckos, they can almost be considered geckos without legs!
Ref: Storr G.M; Smith L,A; & Johnstone R.E. “Snakes of Western Australia” WA Museum
Wilson, S. & Swan, G. “A Complete guide to reptiles of Australia.” New Holland Publishers.
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What is A legless lizard?
Key characteristics to look for when identifying species:
Ear opening
Shape of snout
Ventral scales
Nasal scales
Location of banding or patterns
Colour
Snout Vent Length
Vent is the external opening of the cloaca. The cloaca is the chamber where the reproduction and excretory ducts open.
There are 6 species of Legless Lizard in the Kimberley. |
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Delma borea
Snout Vent Length: 9.5 cm
Distinguishing features: Well developed hindlimb flaps. Snout blunt. Midbody scales in 18 rows. 4 nasal scales (supranasal). 3 scales before vent (preanal). Long tail, 3.5 times length of body. Head and neck have 3-4 black
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to dark brown bands, interspaces are pale orange to cream.
Habitat: Heavy stony soils with grassland
Distribution: Kimberley, NT and QLD
Ref: Wilson, S. & Swan, G. “A Complete guide to reptiles of Australia.” New Holland Publishers.
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Delma nasuta
Snout Vent Length: 112mm
Distinguishing features: Ear visible; dull olive/brown; each scale with darker margin forming spotted pattern; long pointed snout; 4 nasal scales (supranasal); 3 scales before vent (preanal); tail 4 times length of body
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Habitat: Sandy, loam soils and stony soils, more arid zones
Distribution: Kimberley, NT and QLD |
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Delma tincta
Snout Vent Length: 9.2 cm
Distinguishing features: Greyish brown to reddish brown, 3-4 dark and cream/yellow bands on head and neck. 2 nasal scales (supranasal), 3 scales before vent (preanal), Midbody scales in 14 rows and third scale along upper |
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lip below eye. Tail 4 times lengthof body .
Habitat: Spinifex deserts to rock outcrops
Distribution: Kimberley, NT and QLD |
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Ref: Wilson, S. & Swan, G. “A Complete guide to reptiles of Australia.” New Holland Publishers.
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Burtons Legless Lizard
Lialis burtonis
Snout Vent Length: 29 cm
Distinguishing features: Distinctive
pointed, wedged shaped snout; fragmented head shields; very small limb flaps; colour variable red/brown/grey/yellows with various combinations of stripes or broken line
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of spots through face and body. Tail 1.7 times length of body.
Habitat: Widespread, most of Australia from deserts to woodlands
Diet: Lizard specialist, swallows head first
Distribution: Australia wide
Ref: Wilson, S. & Swan, G. “A Complete guide to reptiles of Australia.” New Holland Publishers.
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Western Hooded Scaly-foot
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legless lizard 5 |
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Western Hooded Scaly-foot
Pygopus nigriceps
Snout Vent Length: 22.7 cm
Distinguishing features: Rounded snout. Smooth scales. Dark brown to reddish brown with dark bars across head and through eyes, onto lips. Broad dark band across neck. Weak body |
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pattern. Nostril separated from 1st scale along upper lip.
120 or more
ventral (underneath) scales.
Habitat: Dry, hides in soil cracks and under leaf debris
Distribution: WA, NT, QLD and SA |
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Ref: Wilson, S. & Swan, G. “A Complete guide to reptiles of Australia.” New Holland Publishers.
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Northern Hooded Scaly-foot
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legless lizard 6 |
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Northern Hooded Scaly-foot
Pygopus steelescotti
Snout Vent Length: 18.5 cm
Distinguishing features: Rounded snout. 10 or more rows of scales on back are keeled. Pale brown to yellowish brown, with dark band across neck. Dark teardrop under eye. Weak body pattern.
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Nostril contacting 1st scale along upper lip. Fewer than 120 ventral (underneath) scales.
Habitat: Tropical woodlands. Hides in soil cracks and under debris
Distribution: Kimberley, northern NT to Cape York
Ref: Wilson, S. & Swan, G. “A Complete guide to reptiles of Australia.” New Holland Publishers.
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