| Bipedidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mexican mole lizard (Bipes biporus) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Clade: | Amphisbaenia |
| Family: | Bipedidae Taylor, 1951 |
| Genera | |
Bipedidae is afamily ofamphisbaenians that includes the extantgenusBipes represented by threespecies fromBaja California and the southern coast ofMexico and the extinct genusAnniealexandria represented by one species that lived in what is nowWyoming during the earliest Eocene around 55 million years ago.Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Bipedidae is most closely related to the familyBlanidae, which includes the living genusBlanus.[1][2]
Bipedidae are very small, usually ranging from 120 to 240 mm. They lack external hind limbs and are the only amphisbaenians with well-developedfossorial front limbs, which each include five claws.[3] They have a short tail that does not regenerate if lost. They use their blunt head for burrowing by ramming it into the soil, and usually prey on arthropods.[4]
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