Zarudny's worm lizard

Zarudny's worm lizard (Diplometopon zarudnyi) is a species of amphisbaenian reptile in the family Trogonophidae. The species is monotypic within the genus Diplometopon. The species is native to the Middle East.

Zarudny's worm lizard
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Lacertoidea
Clade:	Amphisbaenia
Family:	Trogonophidae
Genus:	Diplometopon Nikolsky, 1907
Species:	D. zarudnyi
Binomial name
Diplometopon zarudnyi Nikolsky, 1907[2]
Synonyms[3]
Diplometopon zarudnyi Nikolsky, 1907 Pachycalamus zarudnyi — Boulenger, 1920 Diplometopon zarudnyi — Haas, 1957 Diplometopon shueaibi Niazi, 1979 Diplometopon zarudnyi — Gans, 2005

Etymology

The specific name, zarudnyi, is in honor of Russian zoologist Nikolai Zarudny.^[4]

Geographic range

D. zarudnyi is found in western Iran, southern Iraq, and on the Arabian Peninsula in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, northern Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.^[3]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of D. zarudnyi are desert, grassland, and shrubland, at altitudes from sea level to 1,000 m (3,300 ft).^[1]

Description

D. zarudnyi typically measures approximately 30 cm (12 in) in total length (including tail).^{[citation needed]} Because it has no limbs, it uses body undulations similar to a snake to move itself along.^{[citation needed]} It has limited vision.^{[citation needed]}

In Saudi Arabia

Skull

Behavior

D. zarudnyi is terrestrial and fossorial, burrowing in sand or loose soil.^[1]

Diet

The diet of D. zarudnyi consists of insects (mainly larvae and adults of beetles of the genus Dermestes), and other small invertebrates.^[5]

Reproduction

D. zarudnyi is oviparous.^[3]

Conservation status

D. zarudnyi is classified as Least Concern (LC) in the IUCN Red List.^[1]