Threats
Overexploitation of Biological Resources
The habitats of European legless lizards are destroyed by agricultural and urban development. Additionally, they are captured for the pet trade or killed by people who mistake them for snakes.
Reptiles
European Legless Lizard
Scientific Name
Pseudopus apodus
Other Common Name(s)
European Glass Lizard
Body Weight
Up to 700 g
Body Length
Up to 1.2 m
Habitat
Dry, rocky and well vegetated areas
Diet
Insects and molluscs like snails; also feeds on chicks, bird eggs as well as other lizards and small mammals
Fun Facts
Although European legless lizards have no legs, they are actually a type of lizards. They have external ear openings on both sides of their heads and movable eyelids that allow them to blink — features that snakes do not have!
When threatened by predators, the tails of these lizards can drop and continue to wiggle to distract the enemy, allowing the lizards to escape. Their tails can eventually grow back.
Distribution
Eastern Europe and Western to Central Asia, including countries such as Greece, Turkey, Iran, and Uzbekistan
Threats & Conservation
Threats & Conservation
Conservation
