Legless Lizards

Proverbs 30 lists out some of the natural wonders that wowed the wise Agur. One of these was the way a serpent can slither across a rock. But if something looks like a snake and slithers like a snake, does that make it a snake? Not exactly. Note in the picture the astonishing similarity between this legless lizard and an actual snake. You might wonder if there is really is any difference at all! But legless lizards, like that glass lizard, differ from snakes in several features. Like all lizards, they have moveable eyelids that can close. (Snakes can’t blink.) They also have external ear openings, while snakes generally listen to vibrations through the ground. The legless lizards can’t unhinge their jaws or expand their body the way a snake can. This limits them to swallowing smaller prey. The legless lizards cannot constrict their prey like many snakes can. Legless lizards are carnivorous and they eat a variety of insects, small eggs, earthworms and snails. There are hundreds of species of legless lizards and they live in diverse ecosystems all over the world. There are no poisonous varieties because they completely lack venom glands. Burton’s legless lizard has actually been observed using caudal luring as a feeding strategy. This means it will wiggle its tail tip like a worm to draw in prey. Truly these are remarkable lizards that God created!

Posted on July 1, 2024 by Dave.