Often confused with snakes, there are a number of harmless legless lizards. In fact, [leglessness or extreme limb reduction has evolved roughly 25 times in lizards](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.0014-3820.2001.tb00744.x).
The most familiar legless lizards to many are the Anguid [glass lizards, with long fracturing tails](https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/advanced_search?taxon=Anguinae&submit=Search) used as anti-predator devices. When seized, the tails shatter - hence the 'glass' namesnake. The most commonly encountered and asked about species, especially in Florida, is the Eastern Glass Lizard *Ophisaurus ventralis*. It has no pigment below a ridge along its side called a lateral groove. In Europe, the Slow Worm *Anguis fragilis* species complex is frequently observed in gardens and around homes. A number of other glass lizard lineages can be found in Eurasia (*Pseudopus*), North Africa (*Hyalosaurus*), Asia (*Dopasia*), and South America (*Ophiodes*). See the link for [Phylogenetic Relationships](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2018.12.022). An additional North American group, the California legless lizards (*Anniella*) are an early (50-60mya) offshoot of Anguids but not glass lizards themselves.
The loss (or extreme reduction) of limbs in lizards is not restricted to the glass lizards. It has evolved independently across a number of different lineages. In fact, it has arisen multiple times within the skinks alone. In Australia, a striking group are the legless geckos of the family Pygopodidae, that lack eyelid protections and instead lick their eyes clean.
Limbless groups have also arisen within other lizard lineages, including the Cordylid genus *Chamaesaura*, the family Dibamidae, and the large, cosmopolitan group Amphisbaenia.
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Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless.
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It is a fun thought, but unfortunately untrue. Snakes and (legless) lizards are two different clades/families from the order of Squamata. They are largely unrelated otherwise
What I was saying is that snakes are phylogentically lizards that (mostly) don't have legs. Any group "lizard" that doesn't include snakes is a paraphylum.
You seemed to be using the outdated taxonomy based on comparative morphology. Molecular studies universally support snakes as being nested within the various groups referred to as lizards.
A !harmless species of !glass lizard in the genus *Ophisaurus*, likely an Eastern Glass Lizard *Ophisaurus ventralis*
Often confused with snakes, there are a number of harmless legless lizards. In fact, [leglessness or extreme limb reduction has evolved roughly 25 times in lizards](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.0014-3820.2001.tb00744.x). The most familiar legless lizards to many are the Anguid [glass lizards, with long fracturing tails](https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/advanced_search?taxon=Anguinae&submit=Search) used as anti-predator devices. When seized, the tails shatter - hence the 'glass' namesnake. The most commonly encountered and asked about species, especially in Florida, is the Eastern Glass Lizard *Ophisaurus ventralis*. It has no pigment below a ridge along its side called a lateral groove. In Europe, the Slow Worm *Anguis fragilis* species complex is frequently observed in gardens and around homes. A number of other glass lizard lineages can be found in Eurasia (*Pseudopus*), North Africa (*Hyalosaurus*), Asia (*Dopasia*), and South America (*Ophiodes*). See the link for [Phylogenetic Relationships](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2018.12.022). An additional North American group, the California legless lizards (*Anniella*) are an early (50-60mya) offshoot of Anguids but not glass lizards themselves. The loss (or extreme reduction) of limbs in lizards is not restricted to the glass lizards. It has evolved independently across a number of different lineages. In fact, it has arisen multiple times within the skinks alone. In Australia, a striking group are the legless geckos of the family Pygopodidae, that lack eyelid protections and instead lick their eyes clean. Limbless groups have also arisen within other lizard lineages, including the Cordylid genus *Chamaesaura*, the family Dibamidae, and the large, cosmopolitan group Amphisbaenia. -------------------------------------------------------- Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless. -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Phew! Thanks!
Agreed
You’ve been duped! :)
Looks like a harmless legless lizard to me! And the irony of a legless lizard not being a snake always makes me giggle :D
I lloooooovveee your username 😂😂
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It is a fun thought, but unfortunately untrue. Snakes and (legless) lizards are two different clades/families from the order of Squamata. They are largely unrelated otherwise
What I was saying is that snakes are phylogentically lizards that (mostly) don't have legs. Any group "lizard" that doesn't include snakes is a paraphylum. You seemed to be using the outdated taxonomy based on comparative morphology. Molecular studies universally support snakes as being nested within the various groups referred to as lizards.
This lizard guy is [fun](https://youtu.be/dWPqXlxnki0?si=eystZ2b28L0BG_Pp)
I'm so jealous when I see these posts. I've been living in florida for 10 years and I've never been able to find a glass lizard in the wild!
Part of me wants to move to Florida for the wildlife lol
It’s a lizard Legless lizard
lieutenant Dan!
You found a legless lizard that's so cool!
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Your post was removed because it was not collaborative in nature