Fin feet

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Fin feet
Burton's pointed head fin foot (Lialis burtonis)

Burton's pointed head fin foot ( Lialis burtonis )

Systematics
without rank: Amniotes (Amniota)
without rank: Sauropsida
Superordinate : Scale lizards (Lepidosauria)
Order : Scale reptiles (Squamata)
without rank: Geckos (gekkota)
Family : Fin feet
Scientific name
Pygopodidae
Boulenger , 1884

The pinnipeds (Pygopodidae) form a family in the class of reptiles (Reptilia). They are endemic to Australia , Tasmania, and two species to New Guinea . They inhabit burrows on the surface or dig deeper caves and are nocturnal.

features

All 44 species of the pinnipeds resemble the snakes in appearance with their elongated bodies and the scaly appendages or hind legs that have receded into only one claw . The front legs are completely missing. Depending on the species, the tail is as long to four times as long as the head-trunk length. The head is hardly separated from the body and is conically pointed. Some pinnipeds only reach a size of seven centimeters, the largest species, the New Guinea fin foot ( Lialis jicari ) becomes 75 centimeters long. Like all scaled crawfish, pinnipeds shed their skin and shed all of the old skin.

Way of life

In their adaptation to the habitat, the pinnipeds can be divided into two groups. The first lives more on the surface of the ground. Members of this group have a long tail, externally visible auditory canals and often a sharply pointed head. The second group lives burrowing in the ground. Their hind legs are even more reduced, the tail is shorter, the head is conical and the auditory canals are not visible.

Pinnipeds feed on insects, spiders, small lizards and snakes. The genus of the New Guinea pinnipeds ( lialis ) has specialized in skinks .

Some species of the genus smooth dandruff pygopodidae ( Delma ) have an amazing strategy to defend. In case of danger, they stand on their slim but powerful tail and, with the help of their tail muscles, jump into the air several times in order to unsettle the enemy. In addition, the direction is changed every time you lift off the ground. Some Australian species look deceptively similar ( mimicry ) to young poisonous snakes (Elapidae ).

All species lay two parchment-shell eggs.

Systematics

Snake fin foot
( Pygopus lepidopodus )
Delma australis
Delma desmosa
Delma impar
Delma molleri
Schmuckflossenfuß ( Aprasia parapulchella )
Aprasia pseudopulchella

Pinnipeds are closely related to the geckos (Gekkonidae), with whom they share numerous features, mainly in the structure of the skull. Like many gecko species, they are able to produce sounds; like these, they regularly clean their eyes with their fleshy tongues and their lower transparent eyelids are fused with the upper ones. They are the sister group of the double- fingered geckos (Diplodactylidae), which are endemic to Australia and the Southwest Pacific .

The Pygopodidae family currently comprises 46 species from 7 genera:

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Pygopodidae in The Reptile Database ; accessed on March 23, 2015.

literature

Web links

Commons : Pinnipeds (Pygopodidae)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files