Ecology and Behaviour of Burton’s Legless Lizard (Lialis burtonis, Pygopodidae) in Tropical Australia
نویسندگان
چکیده
Many lizard lineages exhibit bodily elongation and concomitant limb reduction. This morphotype has evolved independently in numerous taxa, including amphisbaenians, anguids, cordyl ids , dibamids, diploglossids, gerrhosaurids, skinks, and teiids (Greer, 1991). Of the phylogenetic lineages that have undergone major adaptive radiations subsequent to limb loss, by far the most speciose and diverse are the snakes, which number more than 2700 species (Greene, 1997). The success of snakes has stimulated extensive speculation on the ecological correlates of bodily elongation and limb reduction (e.g., Gans, 1975; Greene, 1983; Shine, 1986; Wiens and Slingluff, 2001). To test such ideas, ideally we Ecology and Behaviour of Burton’s Legless Lizard (Lialis burtonis, Pygopodidae) in Tropical Australia
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