INTEGBI 175LF Lecture 21: 21 - Squamate Phylogeny II
14 May 2018
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●Teiidae : Macroteiids
○Range: N and S Am, Carrib
○18g, 159 sp.
○Ecology: terr foragers, fast runners
○Description
■Elongate neck, trunk, tail
■Pointed snout, large plates on head
■Granular dorsal scales, large rectangular ventrals
■VL body fold
■Reproduction: all ovip, some parthenogens
○Aspidoscelis : local
○Dracaena : aquatic, snail-crushing teeth
○Tupinambis and Salvator : Varanus ecomorph
●Gymnophthalmidae : Microteiids
○Range: C to S Am
○Sister to Teiidae
○50g, 265 sp.
○Ecology:
■Mostly mesic (moist) leaf-litter specialists → salamander niche
■Some semi-aq
■A few fossorial/sand-swimming
○Description:
■Some limbless /have laps
■Small
●Lacertidae : Wall Lizards
○Range: OW, N of Arctic Circle!
○43g, 329 sp.
○Ecology: more diverse than Teiidae
■Scansorial
■Grass-swimmers (Takydromus)
■Sand dune (Meroles - like Uma)
■Rainforest glider (Holaspis)
■Terrestrial herbivore (Gallotia)
○Description:
■Elongate bodies and tails
■Similar to Teiids
■Reproduction: may be parthenogenetic (hybrid)
Amphisbaenia : Rhineuridae, Bipedidae, Blanidae, Cadeidae, Trogonophidae, Amphisbaenidae
○20g, 194 sp.
○Description:
■Limbless (except Bipes)
■Elongate burrowers with degenerate eyes under head scales, annulated scales
