# Northern Legless Lizard (*Anniella pulchra*) The Northern Legless Lizard is a special lizard that doesn't have legs! It has a shiny, smooth body and loves to burrow in the sand. This lizard is great at hiding and can be found in sunny places. - **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Desert ![Northern Legless Lizard](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Anniella_pulchra.jpg&width=800) Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anniella_pulchra.jpg) ## Appearance The Northern Legless Lizard has a slender, worm-like body covered in smooth, shiny scales, often golden-brown or silvery-grey. It completely lacks limbs, appearing similar to a snake, but possesses tiny eyelids and ear openings that snakes do not. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Squamata - **Order:** Lacertilia - **Family:** Anguidae - **Genus:** Anniella ## Interesting facts - It has eyelids and can blink, unlike most snakes! - Legless lizards "swim" through loose sand with impressive ease! - These lizards can live for over a decade in the wild. - They use their strong, shovel-like snout for digging tunnels. ## Special abilities - **Tail Detach:** Northern Legless Lizard can drop its wiggling tail to confuse predators, allowing the lizard to escape safely. - **Live Baby Maker:** Northern Legless Lizard gives birth to live young, which helps protect its babies from harsh environmental conditions. - **Hidden Thermostat:** Northern Legless Lizard can warm up by staying just under the sand surface, helping it control its body temperature. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 10-20 cm - **Weight:** 0.005-0.015 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-15 years - **Speed:** 0.5 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-4 ## Diet & Feeding Tiny hunters, they feast on small insects and their larvae found hiding underground in the soil. - **Primary Foods:** beetle larvae, termites, ants, spiders, isopods - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [California Kingsnake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-kingsnake) (*Lampropeltis californiae*) — A common snake predator in its native California habitat. - **Eaten by:** [Red-tailed Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-tailed-hawk) (*Buteo jamaicensis*) — Hunts from above in open areas where the lizard might surface. - **Hunts:** Western Subterranean Termite (*Reticulitermes hesperus*) — A primary food source, often found within its underground tunnels. - **Hunts:** [California Harvester Ant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-harvester-ant) (*Pogonomyrmex californicus*) — Eats these ants found while foraging under rocks and soil. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Burrowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/burrowing): Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Desert](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/desert): Desert habitats are arid regions characterized by extremely low precipitation and often extreme temperatures, supporting specialized flora and fauna. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low If you see a lizard, watch it from a distance and don't try to touch it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Northern Legless Lizard? Compare toes, scales, head shape, crests and tail proportions. Many lizards can drop and regrow their tails, so a short tail isn't always a species trait. Lizard Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Northern Legless Lizard? 10-20 cm ### How much does Northern Legless Lizard weigh? 0.005-0.015 kg ### How long does Northern Legless Lizard live? 10-15 years ### How fast can Northern Legless Lizard move? 0.5 km/h ### What does Northern Legless Lizard eat? Tiny hunters, they feast on small insects and their larvae found hiding underground in the soil. ### Where is Northern Legless Lizard usually found? Desert ### How does Northern Legless Lizard hunt? Foraging ## More Reptiles - [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*) - [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*) - [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*) - [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*) --- Source: [Northern Legless Lizard: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-legless-lizard)