Lialis burtonis
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Burton's legless lizard (Lialis burtonis) is a species of lizard in the family Pygopodidae. The species lacks forelegs and has only rudimentary hind legs. Pygopodid lizards are also referred to as "legless lizards", "flap-footed lizards" and "snake-lizards". This species is native to Australia and Papua New Guinea.
English zoologist John Edward Gray described Burton's legless lizard in 1835. The specific name, burtonis, is in honour of British army surgeon Edward Burton (1790–1867). Burton's legless lizard (Lialis burtonis) is a member of the genus Lialis within the family Pygopodidae. There are approximately 40 species in the family Pygopodidae, however, Burton's legless lizard and another species (L. jicari) are the only species that fall within genus Lialis. Members in genus Lialis are considered analogous to macrostomatan snakes as these taxonomic groups have functionally similar adaptations such as the ability to swallow relatively large prey whole. However, their resemblance to snakes is merely superficial example of convergent evolution, and they are not closely related.
Differences between legless lizards and snakes include the lack of venom glands in legless... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Rottnest Island | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gembira Loka Zoo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Burton's Legless Lizard sighting in Sydney on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 33rd most-seen of the 39 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Burton's Legless Lizard in Sydney on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Burton's Legless Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Burton's Legless Lizard sightings, Sydney ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Perth (Australia, about 10%) and Brisbane (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Burton's Legless Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Sydney (12 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
