''Bipes'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
amphisbaenian
Amphisbaenia (called amphisbaenians or worm lizards) is a group of usually legless squamates, comprising over 200 extant species. Amphisbaenians are characterized by their long bodies, the reduction or loss of the limbs, and rudimentary eyes. As ...
s found only in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, the sole living member of the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Bipedidae
Bipedidae is a family of amphisbaenians that includes the extant genus '' Bipes'' represented by three species from Baja California and the southern coast of Mexico and the extinct genus '' Anniealexandria'' represented by one species that lived ...
.
Commonly known as ''ajolotes'', they are
carnivorous,
burrowing
An Eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of s ...
reptiles, but unlike other
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of amphisbaenians, they possess two stubby forelimbs placed far forward on the body. They also retain an almost complete pectoral girdle.
The shovel-like limbs are used to scrape away
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt
Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty.
Common types of dirt include:
* Debri ...
while burrowing, in a manner similar to a
mole
Mole (or Molé) may refer to:
Animals
* Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America
* Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...
.
Evidence for their occurrence in the United States is reviewed by Somma (1993).
References
Further reading
*
Latreille PA (1801). ''In'':
Sonnini CS, Latreiile PA (1801). ''Histoire naturelle des reptiles, avec figures desinées d'après nature; Tome II. Premiere partie. Quadrupèdes et bipèdes ovipares''. Paris: Crapalet. 332 pp. (''Bipes'', pp. 90–96.)
*
Taylor EH (1951). "Concerning Oligocene Amphisbaenid Reptiles". ''University of Kansas Science Bulletin'' 34 (9): 521–579. (Bipedidae, p. 522.)
*Somma, Louis A. (1993). "Do Worm Lizards Occur in Nebraska?
''Nebraska Herpetological Newsletter'' 12 (2): 1–10
External links
* https://web.archive.org/web/20090514074919/http://www.jcvi.org/reptiles/families/bipedidae.php
Bipes (lizard)
Lizard genera
Endemic reptiles of Mexico
Taxa named by Pierre André Latreille
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