Anguidae

Anguidae is a diverse family of lizards native to the Northern Hemisphere, comprising 9 genera and 89 species. They share common features like a reduced supratemporal arch, striated tooth crowns, osteoderms, and a skin fold. This family is divided into two subfamilies: Anguinae, which includes legless species like slow worms and glass lizards, and Gerrhonotinae, which contains fully limbed alligator lizards found in North and Central America.

Anguids have armored osteoderms and vary in size from 10 cm to 1.5 m. They can be oviparous or viviparous, with some genera displaying both reproductive strategies. Typically carnivorous or insectivorous, they primarily eat insects, with larger species sometimes preying on small reptiles and amphibians. They inhabit various environments, primarily being terrestrial or semifossorial, except for the arboreal genus Abronia.