''Pseudopus'' is a genus of

anguid Anguidae refers to a large and diverse family of lizards native to the Northern Hemisphere. Common characteristics of this group include a reduced supratemporal arch, striations on the medial faces of tooth crowns, osteoderms, and a lateral fold ...

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

s that are native to

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...

. One extant species remains, the

sheltopusik The sheltopusik (''Pseudopus apodus''), also commonly called Pallas's glass lizard the European legless lizard, or the European glass lizard, is a species of large glass lizard found from Southern Europe to Central Asia. Etymology ''Pseudo ...

, with four fossil species. They are the most robust members of subfamily Anguinae. The oldest fossils of the group date to the Early

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

, but there are possible

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

records.

Classification

Genus ''Pseudopus'' *''

Pseudopus apodus ''Pseudopus'' is a genus of anguid lizards that are native to Eurasia. One extant species remains, the sheltopusik, with four fossil species. They are the most robust members of subfamily Anguinae. The oldest fossils of the group date to the Earl ...

'' – sheltopusik, Pallas's glass lizard, European legless lizard, European glass lizard *†''Pseudopus ahnikoviensis'' *†''Pseudopus laurillardi'' *†''Pseudopus pannonicus'' *†''Pseudopus rugosus''

References

Anguids Lizards of Asia Lizards of Europe Lizard genera Reptile genera with one living species Taxa named by Blasius Merrem {{Lizard-stub