Ophisaurus
Glass Lizards | ||||||||||||||
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The Glass Lizards, genus Ophisaurus, are a group of reptiles that resemble snakes, but are actually lizards. Although they have no legs, their head shape and the fact that they have movable eyelids and external ear openings make it obvious that they are lizards.
Their common name comes from the fact that they are easily broken: like many lizards, they have the ability to deter predation by dropping off part of the tail. The tail remains mobile, while the lizard becomes motionless, distracting the predator, and allowing eventual escape. This serious loss of body mass requires a considerable effort to replace, and the new tail is usually smaller is size than the original.
Several species of glass lizard live in the south eastern United States including the barrier islands off the Atlantic coast of Florida
Classification
Genus Ophisaurus