Overview
The Lepidosauria are with overlapping scales. They include the tuataras, lizards, snakes and amphisbaenians. Lepidosaurians are the most successful of modern reptiles.
Lepidosauria is a superorder of Sauropsida and comprises the orders :
- Squamata
- Sphenodontia / Rhynchocephalia
Photos
Taxonomy
The Superorder Lepidosauria is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Order (2): Sphenodontida · Squamata
Orders
Sphenodontida
Squamata
Squamata, or the scaled reptiles, is the largest recent of reptiles, including lizards and snakes. Members of the order are distinguished by their skins, which bear horny scales or shields. They also possess movable quadrate bones, making it possible to move the upper jaw relative to the braincase. This is particularly visible in snakes, which are able to open their mouths very wide to accommodate comparatively large prey. They are the most variably-sized order of reptiles, ranging from the 16 mm (0.63 in.) Jaragua Sphaero (Sphaerodactylus ariasae) to the 8 m (26 ft.) Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus). [more]
At least 24,720 species and subspecies belong to the Order Squamata.
More info about the Order Squamata may be found here.
Sources
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