- Where to see one
- 3 U.S. zoos in our directory hold legless lizard, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the legless lizard
Legless lizards in the family Anguidae are lizards of the Northern Hemisphere, and the subfamily Anguinae includes slow worms and glass lizards, which have reduced or absent limbs and look much like snakes. Hard bony plates called osteoderms lie beneath their scales and give them an armoured appearance. They are carnivorous or insectivorous foragers that feed mainly on insects, although larger species take small reptiles and amphibians. Most are terrestrial or semi-burrowing, and they live in habitats ranging from arid to tropical. The family has a long fossil record, with the oldest known member dating back about 75 million years.
Legless Lizard facts
- Slow worms and glass lizards belong to the legless subfamily Anguinae, while their alligator lizard relatives keep full limbs.
- Sizes in the family range from 10 cm to 1.5 m.
- The oldest known anguid, Odaxosaurus, lived in Canada about 75 million years ago and has the most complete fossil record of any lizard.
- Some anguids lay eggs, others give birth to live young, and both can occur within a single genus.
Where to see legless lizard in the U.S.
3 zoos across 3 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 3 zoos holding legless lizard by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
California· 1
Connecticut· 1
Virginia· 1
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
