In the world of reptiles, there are creatures so unusual that they can easily be mistaken for fairy-tale creatures. The amphisbaena, or slow worm, is one of them. At first glance, it can be confused with a large earthworm, but it is a real lizard whose life is full of amazing secrets.
These mysterious animals spend most of their lives underground, in loose soil or forest litter. They are native to the warm regions of America, Africa, and even southern Europe. The amphisbaena got its strange name, meaning “moving in both directions,” for its amazing ability to crawl forward with its tail as easily as with its head.
Their lifestyle has given rise to many remarkable features. The skull of an amphisbaenian resembles a miniature battering ram, and its skin is fused to the skull so that it does not get damaged when digging. Their eyes are tiny and often hidden under the skin — they can hardly see, but they can sense vibrations in the soil perfectly. In addition, some species have tails so similar to their heads that they confuse predators.
Discover the full story of this amazing reptile. We will tell you how it hunts, why even ants fear it, and what incredible abilities have helped it become one of the most successful underground dwellers on our planet.
Amphisbaena is an unusual little creature that looks like a worm or snake, but is actually a lizard. It lives in warm regions — Africa, Asia, South America, and southern Europe — hiding underground or in crevices to avoid the heat. It has almost no eyes and poor eyesight, but it has an excellent sense of vibration, and sometimes it seems to have two tails — in fact, one end of its body looks like a head to confuse predators. Amphibians move as if crawling from both sides at once and are considered one of the most mysterious reptiles.
Habitat and lifestyle
Amphisbaenians inhabit all of South America north of Uruguay and Chile, the Antilles, Mexico, Europe's Iberian Peninsula, Africa (except the Sahara), and the Arabian Peninsula. They prefer warm subtropical, tropical, or equatorial climates with sufficient moisture. However, there are species that have adapted to arid conditions.
They spend most of their lives underground, where they dig burrows in search of food. Some species settle in large anthills or termite mounds, where they eat insects and their larvae. Their habitats are associated with water bodies, as amphibians prefer moist soils with lush vegetation, which means there is plenty of food in the ground.
They rarely come to the surface, usually to bask in the sun or to mate.
Appearance
The body is long and elongated, worm-like, rounded in shape, completely covered with a horny shell. Body length is from 12 to 75 cm. The body consists of longitudinal rings separated by shallow grooves.
The body appears to be covered with dense scales, like those of lizards. The head is slightly pronounced, rounded, and flattened on the sides. On both sides of the front of the head, there are bony growths that are used for digging the ground. The color of the body depends on the habitat.
Please note! There are two eyes on the top of the head, covered with a thick shell.
Their eyes allow them to distinguish light from darkness and recognize the general contours of objects. Their mouth is wide and crescent-shaped. Teeth are only found in the front part of the jaw. The snout is upturned and slightly pointed to make it easier to dig into the ground. The tail is blunt at the end, as if it had been cut off. In case of danger, the amphisbaenian raises the tip of its tail and imitates a head. If you grab the animal by the tail, the reptile will throw it off, just like lizards do, and try to escape.
Head and chest area from below (A), side of head (B), and top (C)
Note! Most species have no limbs or reduced limbs. Sexual dimorphism is not developed.
Diet
The basis of its diet consists of insects, larvae, and invertebrates, mainly earthworms, termites, or ants. Some species live directly in anthills and termite mounds, even reproducing there.
Amphisbaena finds prey using hearing organs, which are very well developed. The animal recognizes even the faintest sounds in the ground and rushes to their source. Sharp teeth and strong jaws allow it to instantly tear its prey to pieces. The amphisbaena swallows its food without chewing.
Reproduction
Their secretive lifestyle makes it hard to study their reproduction in detail. The exact timing of their mating season is unknown.
During mating, amphisbaenians curl up into a ball and bite each other. This happens on the surface of the ground or in burrows. The vast majority of species lay eggs (2-5 pieces), but some species are ovoviviparous, meaning they carry eggs inside and then give birth to live young.
A pair of Blanus cinereus in a garden near Seville (Spain)
Important! Eggs are usually laid near a food source. This can be termite mounds or anthills. There have been cases of eggs being laid in the female's burrows. The female does not leave her young and continues to care for her offspring after hatching. The details of the development of the young are not yet known to science.
Housing conditions
Amphisbaenas do not thrive in captivity. Their lifespan does not exceed 2 months. For this animal, you need to choose a horizontal terrarium with a soil thickness of at least 30 cm.
The soil should consist of leaf humus with admixtures sand and clay, to make it easier to dig burrows and tunnels. It is recommended to put leaves on top of the soil. This will help retain moisture and prevent the upper layers from drying out and hardening.
Keep in mind! The soil needs to be constantly moist, but not too wet, or the animal will die.
The water bowl must be buried in the soil to a depth of up to 2 cm. The diameter of the water bowl should be as large as possible, while the depth is not particularly important. It is best to use ceramic items for this purpose, such as a flower pot saucer. It is better to place plants in a suspended state or in special pots, as the amphisbaena will inevitably damage the root system of plants in the ground.
Ibizara (White Amphisbaena) — Amphisbaena alba
The temperature in the terrarium should be between 20-28°C during the day. At night, it is reduced by 5-6°C. Artificial lighting is not required, natural light is sufficient. If a lamp is used for lighting, it should emit diffused light and be positioned at an angle.
Close-up of teeth
Ants, larvae, earthworms, millipedes, and small lizards are used as food.
Varieties
Let's look at several varieties of amphisbaena:
White Amphisbaena (Amphisbaena alba) – inhabits all of South America except deserts and high mountain areas. Its body length reaches 75 cm. Its head is short and wide, resembling a shovel. Its torso is slender and muscular. The body color is brown, yellow, milky, or red, depending on the color of the soil in its habitat. It settles in termite mounds and anthills, feeding on insects and larvae. It also lays its eggs there.
Spotted amphisbaena (Amphisbaena fuliginosa) – inhabits the eastern coast of South America and the Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. Its body length reaches 55 cm, and its thickness reaches 20 mm. Its head is wide and flattened on the sides. Its tail is short and thick. Its body color ranges from pale pink and light yellow to purple. Its body has irregularly shaped dark spots.
Florida bat (Rhineura floridana) – inhabits the state of Florida, USA. It is distinguished by its long, narrow, and elongated body, like that of a worm. The head and tip of the tail are flattened on the sides and resemble a spatula. The body color is pale pink or reddish-brown. Body length is up to 30 cm.
Zarudny's two-spotted moth (Diplometopon zarudnyi) – inhabits the Arabian Peninsula and southwestern Iraq. Its body length does not exceed 25 cm. Its head is wedge-shaped with fused lateral shields. The body color is pale pink with a large number of small black spots.
Brown bat (Blanus cinereus) – inhabits the south of the Iberian Peninsula and northern Africa. It prefers forest and shrubland areas along the Mediterranean coast. Adults do not exceed 20 cm in length. Its diet consists mainly of worms and invertebrates. Its body color ranges from light blue to purple or violet.
Blanus strauchi (Blanus strauchi) it inhabits the southern coast of Turkey. Its head is triangular in shape, flattened on the sides and rounded at the front. The upper jaw extends beyond the lower jaw. There is a special groove between the head and the rest of the body. The tail is short and rounded. The body length does not exceed 20 cm. The body color ranges from pink to dark brown and purple.
Interesting facts
Let's highlight the most interesting facts about amphisbaena:
- can crawl in both directions, which is why it got its name amphisbaena;
- in case of danger, it sheds its tail, which regenerates after some time;
- when attacked by a predator, some species secrete a foul-smelling liquid from their cloaca;
- spends most of its life underground;
- has only one left lung, the right one is reduced;
- moves using ring muscles like a worm;
- sees practically nothing, but hears well and has a developed sense of smell;
- the smallest amphisbaena (Tanzanian) has a body length of 12 cm and a thickness of 2-3 mm.
- if a predator crawls into the amphisbaena's burrow, it will collapse the walls and fill in the passages;
- the animal molts several times during its life.
As we have seen, the amphisbaena is a truly amazing creature that breaks stereotypes about typical reptiles. Nature has endowed it with the unique ability to move forward and backward with equal agility, as well as to lead a secretive, almost completely underground lifestyle.
These creatures play an important and modest role in the ecosystem, remaining invisible to most people. Their lives take place in the darkness of underground tunnels, and it is there, in the soil and forest litter, that they find their home and food.
From ancient myths to modern scientific discoveries, the amphisbaena continues to arouse interest. Its unusual appearance and habits serve as yet another reminder of how diverse and inventive the animal world of our planet is.
