Rhineura facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rhineura |
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| A diagram of the Florida worm lizard, Rhineura floridana. | |
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Rhineura
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| Species: |
floridana
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The Florida worm lizard (Rhineura floridana) is a unique reptile that looks a lot like a worm. It's also known by other names like the North American worm lizard, graveyard snake, or thunderworm.
This special animal is the only living member of its group, called Rhineura. You can mostly find it in Florida, USA. It has also been seen in Lanier County, Georgia. There are no different types or subspecies of this lizard.
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What Does the Florida Worm Lizard Look Like?
The Florida worm lizard can grow to be about 18 to 30 centimeters (7 to 12 inches) long, including its tail. That's about the length of a school ruler!
Its head is shaped like a shovel, which helps it dig through soil. Its eyes are very small and hidden, so you can't see them easily from the outside. This lizard doesn't have any legs. Its body is covered in scales arranged in rings, making it look very much like a large earthworm.
How Does the Florida Worm Lizard Behave?
The Florida worm lizard loves to dig! It spends most of its time underground in soil, sand, or even leaf piles. This keeps it safe from animals that might want to eat it.
It usually only comes to the surface if there's a lot of rain or if its home is disturbed by things like plowing. This is why some people call it a "thunderworm" – because it sometimes appears after heavy thunderstorms. If something scares it, it quickly backs into its burrow, tail first!
What Does the Florida Worm Lizard Eat?
The Florida worm lizard is not picky about its food. It mainly eats insects and earthworms. However, it will eat almost any small invertebrate (animals without a backbone) that it can catch.
Life Cycle: How Does the Florida Worm Lizard Reproduce?
Florida worm lizards lay eggs to have babies. This means they are oviparous animals. The eggs hatch into tiny worm lizards that look like smaller versions of their parents.
Is the Florida Worm Lizard in Danger?
Good news! The Florida worm lizard is listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This means it's not currently in danger of disappearing.
It's listed this way because it lives in many places, seems to have a large population, and its numbers are not dropping quickly. The population of the Florida worm lizard is considered stable. This assessment was made in 2007.
Images for kids
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A scientific diagram showing the internal and external features of the Florida worm lizard.
