Glass lizard

Eastern glass worm ( Ophisaurus ventralis )

The glass Sneak ( Ophisaurus ) are a genus of legless lizards. They are found with five species in North America (USA and Mexico ) and another type to use for some scientists also the generic name Hyalosaurus, Morocco and northwestern Algeria. The South East European and Middle Eastern Scheltopusik, which was formerly classed as glass Crawl, now belongs to the genus Pseudopus. The Southeast Asian species are now assigned to the genus Dopasia.

Features

Sneak glass have a snake-like body, but are much less mobile than those with large scales and dermal bones. The gusset, which makes breathing easier for all members of the subfamily Diploglossinae is well pronounced. The head is barely separated from the body and dull. The largest species, the slender glass worm (O. attenuatus ) and the Eastern glass worm (O. ventralis ) are one meter long, the other often reach only 50 cm. The tail makes up two-thirds of the body length. They received the German name because they shed their tails in case of danger at predetermined breaking points and this easily breaks down into further sections. Lost tails are regenerated, but not reach the original length.

Way of life

Glass Sneak live mainly in open terrain overgrown with grass, in rocky, scrubby steppes or in damp forests. All glass Sneak feed on insects and weichkörperigen invertebrates, such as worms and snails. They multiply oviparous and lay relatively small eggs. The female guards the clutch slip to the pups.

Species

The Reptile Database lists six types:

• Slender glass worm ( Ophisaurus attenuatus ) BAIRD 1880
• Ophisaurus Ceroni HOLMAN 1965
• Coast glass worm ( Ophisaurus compressus ) COPE 1900
• Morocco - worm ( Ophisaurus koellikeri ) ( Gunther 1873) (synonym: Hyalosaurus koellikeri Günther, 1873)
• Ophisaurus mimicus PALMER 1987
• Eastern glass worm ( Ophisaurus ventralis ) Linnaeus 1766