REPTILE FOCUS
Four-toed worm lizard - Bipes canaliculatus
This bizarre species is so-called because of its worm-like appearance and subterranean lifestyle. but the distinctive rings on its body, called annuli, are nevertheless made up of scales. It is a member of a group called amphisbaenians (pronounced ‘am-fiz-be-nee-ans’), of which there are around 150 species, although their exact number is unclear. The four-toed worm lizard can be easily distinguished because of its surprisingly well-developed forelimbs, which assist it when digging underground. This is a feature shared only with its closest relatives.