Fin feet
Fin feet | ||||||||||||
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Burton's pointed head fin foot ( Lialis burtonis ) |
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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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
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:
- Family: Pygopodidae
- Subfamily: Pygopodinae
Boulenger , 1884
- Genus: Paradelma Kinghorn , 1926
- Southern fin foot ( Paradelma orientalis ( Günther , 1876) )
- Genus: pygopodidae ( Pygopus Merrem , 1820)
- Snake fin foot ( Pygopus lepidopodus ( Lacépéde , 1804) )
- Western fin foot ( Pygopus nigriceps ( Fischer , 1882) )
- Pygopus robertsi Oliver , Couper & Amey , 2010
- Pygopus schraderi Boulenger , 1913
- Pygopus steelescotti James , Donnellan & Hutchinson , 2001
- Genus: Smooth-scale pinnipeds ( Delma Gray , 1830 )
- Delma australis Kluge , 1974
- Delma borea Kluge , 1974
- Delma butleri Storr , 1987
- Delma concinna ( Kluge , 1974)
- Delma desmosa Maryan , Aplin & Adams , 2007
- Delma elegans Kluge , 1974
- Fraser's fin foot ( Delma fraseri Gray , 1831 )
- Delma grayii Smith , 1849
- Delma Haroldi Storr , 1987
- Delma Hebesa Maryan , Adams & Aplin , 2015
- Delma impar ( Fischer , 1882)
- Unadorned fin foot ( Delma inornata Kluge , 1974 )
- Delma labialis Shea , 1987
- Delma mitella Shea , 1987
- Delma molleri Lütken , 1863
- Pointy-nosed fin foot ( Delma nasuta Kluge , 1974 )
- Delma pax Kluge , 1974
- Delma petersoni Shea , 1991
- Delma plebeia De Vis , 1888
- Delma tealei Maryan , Aplin & Adams , 2007
- Delma tincta De Vis , 1888
- Delma torquata Kluge , 1974
- Genus: Paradelma Kinghorn , 1926
- Subfamily: Lialisinae Gray , 1841
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Tribus : Lialisini Boulenger , 1884
- Genus: New Guinea pinnipeds ( Lialis Gray , 1835 )
- Burton's pointed head fin foot ( Lialis burtonis Gray , 1835 )
- New Guinea fin foot ( Lialis jicari Boulenger , 1903 )
- Genus: New Guinea pinnipeds ( Lialis Gray , 1835 )
- Tribus: Aprasiaini Gray , 1839
- Sub tribus: Pletholaxini
- Genus: Pletholax Cope , 1864
- Pletholax gracilis ( Cope , 1864)
- Genus: Pletholax Cope , 1864
- Sub-bus: Aprasiaini
- Genus: Aprasia Gray , 1839
- Aprasia aurita Kluge , 1974
- Aprasia clairae Maryan , How & Adams , 2013
- Aprasia haroldi Storr , 1978
- Aprasia inaurita Kluge , 1974
- Aprasia litorea Maryan , How & Adams , 2013
- Schmuckflossenfuß ( Aprasia parapulchella Kluge , 1974 )
- Aprasia picturata Smith & Henry , 1999
- Aprasia pseudopulchella Kluge , 1974
- Aprasia pulchella Gray , 1839
- Aprasia repens ( Fry , 1914)
- Aprasia rostrata Parker , 1956 (synonym Aprasia fusca )
- Aprasia Smithi Storr , 1970
- Striped fin foot ( Aprasia striolata Lütken , 1863 )
- Aprasia wicherina Maryan , Adams & Aplin , 2015
- Genus: Ophidiocephalus Lucas & Frost , 1897
- Australian fin foot ( Ophidiocephalus taeniatus Lucas & Frost , 1897 )
- Genus: Aprasia Gray , 1839
- Sub tribus: Pletholaxini
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Tribus : Lialisini Boulenger , 1884
- Subfamily: Pygopodinae
Boulenger , 1884
Individual evidence
- ↑ Pygopodidae in The Reptile Database ; accessed on March 23, 2015.
literature
- Kurt Deckert , Gisela Deckert , Günther E. Freytag, Günther Peters , Günther Sterba : fish, amphibians, reptiles (= Urania animal kingdom. ). Urania-Verlag, Berlin 1991, ISBN 3-332-00376-3 .
- Harold G. Cogger, Richard G. Zweifel : Encyclopedia of Reptiles & Amphibians. Bechtermünz Verlag, Augsburg 1999, ISBN 3-8289-1559-0 .
- Manfred Rogner : Lizards. Volume 1: geckos, pinnipeds, agamas, chameleons and iguanas. Ulmer, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-8001-7248-8 .
- W. Bryan Jennings, Eric R. Pianka, Stephen Donnellan: Systematics of the Lizard Family Pygopodidae with Implications for the Diversification of Australian Temperate Biotas. In: Systematic Biology. Vol. 52, No. 6, 2003, pp. 757-780, doi : 10.1093 / sysbio / 52.6.757 .
- Volker Storch , Ulrich Welsch : Systematic Zoology. 6th, revised and expanded edition. Spectrum - Akademischer Verlag, Heidelberg et al. 2004, ISBN 3-8274-1112-2 .
Web links
- Pygopodidae in The Reptile Database
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System Pygopodidae