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iNat·121034FamilyReptilia123 field observations
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  8. ›Amphisbaenians
Two-legged Worm Lizards
Plate 1 of 2. (c) Bill Levine, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Bill Levine · via iNaturalist

Two-legged Worm Lizards

Bipedidae

Bipedidae is a family of amphisbaenians that includes the extant genus Bipes represented by three species from Baja California and the southern coast of Mexico and the extinct genus Anniealexandria represented by one species that lived in what is now Wyoming during the earliest Eocene around 55 million years ago. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Bipedidae is most closely related to the family Blanidae, which includes the living genus Blanus.

Bipedidae are very small, usually ranging from 120 to 240 mm (4.7 to 9.4 in). They lack external hind limbs and are the only amphisbaenians with well-developed fossorial front limbs, which each include five claws. They have a short tail that does not regenerate if lost. They use their blunt head for burrowing by ramming it into the soil, and usually prey on arthropods.

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1 branches of this family, most-observed first · about 3 known species

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Where it lives

Recorded sightings

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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.

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Every page naming Bipedidae in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →

This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 121034.