Many people encounter long, scaly creatures without limbs and immediately assume they are snakes, often leading to concerns about danger. However, many of these serpent-like animals are actually legless lizards, a diverse group of reptiles that have evolved to lose their limbs. This article aims to clarify the nature of legless lizards and address the common misconception that they pose a threat to humans, providing insights into their biology and how to distinguish them from snakes.
Understanding Legless Lizards
Legless lizards are true lizards that have independently evolved to lose or significantly reduce their limbs, a process that has occurred in many different lizard lineages throughout evolutionary history. This adaptation often allows them to move efficiently through sand, soil, or dense vegetation. They inhabit a variety of environments, from damp forests with abundant hiding spots to coastal sand dunes where they can burrow several feet deep.
While they may resemble snakes, legless lizards possess distinct characteristics that identify them as lizards. These features include moveable eyelids and external ear openings. Many species also have a broad, fleshy tongue, unlike the forked tongues of most snakes. Their diets generally consist of insects, spiders, slugs, and snails, though larger species might consume small mammals or birds.
Assessing the Threat
Legless lizards are not venomous and pose no significant threat to humans. While a legless lizard might bite if it feels threatened, such bites are generally harmless and unlikely to break the skin, typically feeling more like a pinch.
Their primary defense mechanism involves shedding their tail. If grabbed by a predator, the lizard can detach its tail, which continues to wriggle, distracting the threat while the lizard escapes. This tail can sometimes make up a substantial portion of their body length. Legless lizards are generally shy and reclusive, preferring to avoid encounters with humans.
Distinguishing From Snakes
Differentiating legless lizards from snakes is straightforward. One of the most reliable indicators is the presence of eyelids; legless lizards have them and can blink, while snakes do not have eyelids and cannot blink. Another key difference is the presence of external ear openings, which legless lizards possess but snakes typically lack.
Their body structure and movement also differ. Legless lizards often have a stiffer, more rigid body compared to the fluid, flexible movement of snakes. The scales on a legless lizard’s belly are usually similar in size and shape to those on its back, whereas snakes typically have broad, specialized belly scales (scutes) that aid in locomotion. Additionally, while snakes can unhinge their jaws to swallow large prey, legless lizards have less flexible jaws, limiting them to smaller food items.
Encountering a Legless Lizard
Should you encounter a legless lizard, observe it from a distance. These reptiles are generally harmless and prefer to be left undisturbed. Avoid attempting to handle them, as they may bite or shed their tail.
Allow the lizard to move away naturally. Legless lizards play a beneficial role in their ecosystems, primarily by preying on insects and other small invertebrates. Their presence can indicate a healthy local environment, and by leaving them alone, you contribute to their continued ecological function.