2. Iguanida'.—A large and chiefly American family with pleurodont dentition, and a short, thick, non-protractile tongue. The genus Anolis contains the common "chameleon" of the southeastern United States. (See ANOLIS; CHAMELEON). Basiliscus of Central America has a great, erectile vestigial crest on the back and tail. (See BASILISK). Iguana (q.v.) in cludes large edible lizards of Central and South America. Phrynosoma is the genus of the "horned toad" (q.v.).
3. Xenosauridcr.—A Mexican family inter mediate between the Iguanichr and the Anguida'; represented in Africa by (4) the Zonuridce.
5. Anguidcr.— Terrestrial plcurodont liz ards, with bony plates in the skin and the tail long and brittle, dwelling in Central America. Europe and India. Ophisaurus, the genus of the glass snakes (q.Y.) of the Central States, has the limbs reduced to mere,spikes.
the (q.v.), has no limbs at all, and the eyes well developed.
6. Helodermatidce.—Pleurodont, -Poison ous lizards of New Mexico and Arizona. See GILA MONSTER. The (7) Lanthanotida are Asiatic representatives of the foregoing.
8. Varanide—Pleurodont aquatic lizards of the Old World, with bifid, protractile tongue. See MONITOR LIZARDS.
9. Xantusiidee.— Three Central American genera.
10. Tejidce.—A large tropical-American family . of large forest-dwelling, carnivorous lizards of great strength and swiftness. See TEJU.
11. Lacertide.— Typical small lizards of the Old World, with pleurodont dentition, and bony dermal plates over the temporals. About 100 species. All live on animal food, chiefly insects, worms and snails.
12. Gerrhosauridce.—African lizards, inter mediate between Lacertidce and Scincidce.
13. Scincida'.— Pleurodont, viviparous liz ards; with feebly. nicked, staly tongue. They burrow in sandy ground. The family contains about 400 species distributed all over the world. See SKINK.
The following five families have become de graded on account of their burrowing ipStinc,ts•: (14) Anelytropidat, worm-like, legless lizards of the tropics; (15) Dihamide, of Malay Archi pelago; (16) Anjellidcr, worm-like lizards of California, limbs entirely absent; , (17) Am phisba'nida', worm-like, blind lizards which burrow like earthworms, especially in ants' nests and manure heaps. Chirotes of Mexico and California has the fore-limbs remaining. See AsteHIsBENA.
18. Pygopodide— Snake-like lizards; fore legs absent; hind-legs a pair of scaly flaps; Australasia.
3.
saurians, with compressed body and prehensile tail; tongue club-shaped and capable of being protruded to a distance equal to the length of the body; two digits of the feet are permanently opposed to three; head crested; eye-balls very large and movable on the two sides indepen dently of each other; capacity for changing color conspicuous. (See CHAMELEON). Con sult Boulenger,