reptiles zx

This listing is provided as a supplement to the article "The ABC's of Animal Taxonomy." It is intended as an illustration of the modern use of traditional, or Linnaean, taxonomy, and is NOT guaranteed to be totally accurate. (In point of fact, NO taxonomy can ever be guaranteed to be totally accurate. Taxonomy involves many judgement calls, and it is highly unlikely that any two authorities on a particular subject will ever agree on all the details of any taxonomic scheme.) The scheme presented was prepared by Peter Uetz, originally with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, and now with the University of Washington. Some modifications were made by dlb.
I do not intend to present an equivalent cladistic taxonomy of Class Reptilia, for two reasons. First, I don't know where one can be obtained, or even if the information necessary to create one has yet been acquired for the whole class; and, second, this newsletter isn't big enough to hold one if it does exist!
-- dlb
Subclass Anapsida (Note 1)

Order Testudines (turtles)


Suborder Cryptodira



Superfamily Testudinoidea




Family Chelydridae (Snapping Turtles)




Family Emydidae (Pond Turtles/Box and Water Turtles)




Family Testudinidae (Tortoises)




Superfamily Trionychoidea




Family Dermatemydidae (River Turtles)




Family Kinosternidae (Mud and Musk Turtles)




Family Carettochelyidae (Pig-nose Turtles)




Family Trionychidae (Softshell Turtles)




Superfamily Chelonioidea




Family Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)




Family Dermochelyidae (Leatherback Turtles)



Suborder Pleurodira



Family Pelomedusidae (Afro-American Sideneck Turtles)



Family Chelidae (Austro-American Sideneck Turtles)

Subclass Lepidosauria

Order Rhynchocephalia


Suborder Sphenodontida



Family Sphenodontidae (Tuataras)


Order Squamata ("scaled reptiles")


Suborder Sauria (lizards)



Infraorder Iguania




Family Agamidae (Agamas)




Family Chamaeleonidae (Chameleons)




Family Iguanidae (Iguanas and Spinytail Iguanas)




Family Corytophanidae (Casquehead Lizards)




Family Crotaphytidae (Collared and Leopard Lizards)




Family Hoplocercidae




Family Opluridae (Madagascar iguanids)




Family Phrynosomatidae (Earless, Spiny, Tree, Side-blotched and Horned Lizards)




Family Polychrotidae (Anoles)




Family Tropiduridae (Neotropical Ground Lizards)




Infraorder Gekkota




Family Gekkonidae (Geckoes)




Family Eublepharidae (Eyelid Geckoes)




Family Pygopodidae (Legless Lizards)




Family Dibamidae (Blind Lizards)




Infraorder Scincomorpha




Family Cordylidae (Spinytail Lizards)




Family Gerrhosauridae




Family Gymnophthalmidae (Spectacled Lizards)




Family Teiidae (Whiptails and Tegus)




Family Lacertidae (Wall Lizards)




Family Scincidae (Skinks)




Family Xantusiidae (Night Lizards)




Infraorder Diploglossa




Family Anguidae (Glass Lizards and Alligator Lizards; Lateral Fold Lizards)




Family Anniellidae (American Legless lizards)




Family Xenosauridae (Knob-scaled Lizards)




Infraorder Platynota (Varanoidea)




Family Helodermatidae (Gila Monsters)




Family Lanthanotidae (Earless Monitor lizards)




Family Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)



Suborder Serpentes (snakes)



Superfamily Typhlopoidea (Scolecophidia)




Family Anomalepidae (Dawn Blind Snakes)




Family Typhlopidae (Blind Snakes)




Family Leptotyphlopidae/Glauconiidae (Slender Blind Snakes)




Superfamily Henophidia (Boidea)




Family Aniliidae/Ilysiidae (Pipe Snakes)




Family Anomochilidae (Dwarf Pipe Snakes)




Family Boidae (Boas and Pythons)




Family Bolyeridae (Round Island Boas)




Family Cylindrophiidae (Asian Pipe Snakes)




Family Loxocemidae (Mexican Burrowing Pythons)




Family Tropidophiidae (Woodsnakes, Round Island "Boas ")




Family Uropeltidae (Short-tail Snakes)




Family Xenopeltidae (Sunbeam Snakes)




Superfamily Xenophidia (Colubroidea = Caenophidia)




Family Acrochordidae (File Snakes)




Family Atractaspididae (Mole Vipers)




Family Colubridae (Colubrids)




Family Elapidae (Cobras, Kraits, Coral Snakes)




Family Hydrophiidae (Sea Snakes)




Family Viperidae (Vipers and Pit Vipers)



Suborder Amphisbaenia (amphisbaenians)



Family Amphisbaenidae (Worm Lizards)



Family Trogonophidae (Shorthead Worm Lizards)



Family Bipedidae (Two-legged Worm Lizards)

Subclass Archosauria

Order Crocodylia


Suborder Eusuchia



Family Crocodylidae (Crocodiles)
Note 1: The taxonomic position of turtles is quite controversial at the present time. This classification represents the traditional, conservative view. (Return)Source: Modified from The EMBL Reptile Database, EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory), Heidelberg, Germany. (Maintained by Peter Uetz, University of Washington. Modified by dlb) Taken off the Web, at <http://www.embl-heidelberg.de/~uetz/LivingReptiles.html>.