| Diploglossidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Panolopus marcanoi | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Clade: | Anguioidea |
| Family: | Diploglossidae Bocourt, 1873 |
| Genera | |
See text | |
Diploglossidae is afamily ofanguimorph lizards native to the Americas, with mostgenera beingendemic toHispaniola. Most members of this family (aside from the legless genusOphiodes) are known asgalliwasps. They were formerly considered asubfamily ofAnguidae, but genetic evidence has shown them to be less closely related to other members of Anguidae thanAnniellidae is.[1]
Phylogenetic evidence supports an earlyCenozoic origin for the family Diploglossidae. member species were previously only classified into three genera (Celestus,Diploglossus, andOphiodes), but a 2021 study found these genera to beparaphyletic, and thus further split them into more genera, classified within three differentsubfamilies (the celestines, diploglossines, and siderolamprines). The siderolamprines and a single celestine radiated throughout most ofCentral America, the diploglossines radiated throughoutSouth America, and both the celestines and diploglossines radiated throughout theCaribbean.[2][3]
The family contains the following genera:[4]
Most galliwasps are larger lizards, with normally proportioned and complete limbs. They superficially resembleskinks, and due to their bright coloration and size, are falsely assumed to be venomous. They occupy terrestrial habitats.[5]
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