List of Lacertilia families

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

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

Taxonomy

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
FamilyCommon NamesExample SpeciesExample Photo
Anguidae
Oppel, 1811
Glass lizardsSlowworm (Anguis fragilis)
Anniellidae
Gray, 1852
American legless lizardsCalifornia legless lizard (Anniella pulchra)
Xenosauridae
Cope, 1866
Knob-scaled lizardsChinese crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus)
Gekkota
FamilyCommon NamesExample SpeciesExample Photo
Dibamidae
Boulenger, 1884
Blind lizardsDibamus nicobaricum-
Gekkonidae
Gray, 1825
GeckosThick-tailed Gecko (Underwoodisaurus milii)
Pygopodidae
Boulenger, 1884
Legless lizardsBurton's legless lizard (Lialis burtonis)-
Iguania
FamilyCommon NamesExample SpeciesExample Photo
Agamidae
Spix, 1825
AgamasEastern bearded dragon (Pogona barbata)
Chamaeleonidae
Gray, 1825
ChameleonsVeiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus)
Corytophanidae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
Casquehead lizardsPlumed basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons)
Crotaphytidae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
Collared and leopard lizardsCommon collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris)
Hoplocercidae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
Wood lizards or clubtailsClub tail iguana (Hoplocercus spinosus)-
IguanidaeIguanasMarine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)
Leiosauridae
Frost et al., 2001
-Darwin's iguana (Diplolaemus darwinii)-
Opluridae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
Madagascan iguanasChalarodon (Chalarodon madagascariensis)-
Phrynosomatidae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
Earless, spiny, tree, side-blotched and horned lizardsGreater earless lizard (Cophosaurus texanus)
Polychrotidae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
AnolesCaronlina anole (Anolis carolinensis)
Tropiduridae
Frost & Etheridge, 1989
Neotropical ground lizards(Microlophus peruvianus)
Platynota
FamilyCommon NamesExample SpeciesExample Photo
HelodermatidaeGila monstersGila Monster (Heloderma suspectum)
LanthanotidaeEarless MonitorEarless Monitor (Lanthanotus borneensis)-
VaranidaeMonitors lizardsPerentie (Varanus giganteus)
Scincomorpha
FamilyCommon NamesExample SpeciesExample Photo
CordylidaeSpinytail lizardsGirdle-tailed lizard (Cordylus warreni)
GerrhosauridaePlated lizardsSudan Plated Lizard (Gerrhosaurus major)
GymnophthalmidaeSpectacled lizards--
Lacertidae
Oppel, 1811
Wall or true lizardsOcellated Lizard (Lacerta lepida)
Scincidae
Oppel, 1811
SkinksWestern Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua occipitalis)
TeiidaeTegus or whiptailsBlue Tegu (Tupinambis teguixin)
XantusiidaeNight lizardsGranite Night Lizard (Xantusia henshawi)

References

  • 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.
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