General Overview
The Anguidae family includes over 80 species of lizards found across North America, Europe, North Africa, and Asia. This diverse group is best known for its unusual body forms, which range from elongated, legless species resembling snakes (such as glass lizards and slowworms) to more robust, limbed species like alligator lizards. Anguids are primarily secretive reptiles that play important ecological roles as predators of insects and other small animals.
Appearance
Anguids display a wide range of morphologies. Many, like glass lizards (Ophisaurus), are limbless and can be mistaken for snakes, though they retain external ear openings and eyelids—features absent in true snakes. Others, like alligator lizards (Elgaria), have well-developed limbs and a more typical lizard-like form. Body size varies from under 20 centimeters to over a meter in length. They are usually covered in smooth, shiny scales, often arranged in distinct longitudinal rows, giving them a plated appearance. Coloration is generally cryptic—browns, grays, or greens with stripes or mottling—that helps them blend into leaf litter or grass.
Diet
Members of the Anguidae family are carnivorous or insectivorous, feeding on a variety of invertebrates such as insects, spiders, and snails, as well as small vertebrates including frogs, lizards, and rodents. Some species, especially larger ones, may also eat bird eggs or carrion. Their slow but deliberate hunting style makes them effective ambush or active foragersdepending on habitat.
Habitat
Anguids occupy a wide range of habitats, including grasslands, woodlands, scrublands, rocky hillsides, and forest edges. Many species favor areas with abundant ground cover such as leaf litter, tall grasses, or rocks for concealment. Some, like slowworms, thrive in temperate climates across Europe, while others, such as alligator lizards, are more common in arid or semi-arid environments of North America. Their secretive habits make them more often heard rustling in undergrowth than seen in the open.
Behavior
Most anguids are secretive, spending much of their time hidden under logs, rocks, or vegetation. They are generally slow-moving compared to other lizards but rely on cryptic coloration and the ability to shed their tails (autotomy) as defenses against predators. Glass lizards, despite their limbless form, are not snakes but retain many lizard traits, including eyelids and external ears. Many species are oviparous, laying clutches of eggs, while others give birth to live young (viviparous). They are solitary reptiles, coming together only during the breeding season.
