![]() ![]() Some other distinguishing characteristics are less easy to identify in a hurry. Snakes do not regenerate a tail and therefore similar patternation can be found down the length of the body. The regenerating tail has a slight colour difference in comparison to the rest of the body and so a shearing point can be found on some legless lizards that have undergone regeneration. The tail will then regenerate given enough time and cause no discomfort to the individual. Many legless lizards have a very small body and a large tail and hence are not killed when sliced in half. Many land owners are tricked this way when they are frightened, thinking they have found a snake and take to the individual with a shovel, only to find the animal does not die (quite the opposite for a snake, but we do not recommend testing this theory as we are pro-life for all reptiles!). Legless lizards have the ability to drop their tail as a life-saving protection mechanism from predators, known as caudal autotomy. Snakes have a very distinctly forked tongue, which is quite long and slim, whereas legless lizards have a fatter tongue that lacks a defined fork. Keep an eye on the tongue of the reptile when it licks the air. Legless lizards may have lost their legs as large extensions over evolutionary time, however they do possess small residual nodules to the rear where the hind legs would have been. Many legless lizards have small ear openings behind the jaw. Snakes don’t have visible ear openings, but rather their inner ear is connected directly to the jawbone, which senses vibrations. Snakes can’t blink, instead they have a thin transparent scale that covers the eye, which are known as spectacles and are replaced when the snake sheds its skin. This is an easy way to tell the difference between the two types of reptiles, if you can get close enough without putting yourself or others in danger. Legless lizards have ears and some have eyelids and snakes do not have either. Excitable Delmas are able to jump several centimetres off the ground, using their whole body. They do slither along the ground and they can launch their head and front third of their body, but they are not jumpers. This was a great way to distinguish the difference between this particular legless lizard and snake. The legless lizard launched its body around on the ground with a huge amount of excitement. When the Excitable Delma was released onto the ground, the reason for its name became obvious. However, there are some clear differences, which were explained in detail and shown to those attending the event. The two reptiles have a similar colour, both lay eggs and both slither along the ground. He showed an example of an Excitable Delma or Excitable Snake Lizard ( Delma tincta), which can often be confused with a baby brown snake. Rex explained how members can identify the differences between some of the common legless lizards and small venomous snakes. Legless lizards at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre
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