76 THE FOOD OF ANIMALS 



Common Skink (Scincus officinalis) (fig. 362) of the Sahara and 

 Red Sea regions, and the remarkable Stump -tailed Lizard 

 (Trachysaurus rugosus) (see vol. i, p. 226) of Australia. 

 Specialization of a far more profound nature to suit a burrow- 

 ing habit is displayed by the worm-like Amphisbaenas, most of 

 which are natives of the hotter parts of Africa and America, and 

 which owe their name to the fact that they can move forwards 

 or backwards with equal ease. The Handed Amphisbaena 

 (Chirotes caniculatus\ native to California. and Mexico, is one 

 of the least modified members of the group, for it still possesses 

 small fore-limbs, though the hind ones are entirely absent; but 

 in most other cases, as, for example, in the Spotted Amphisbsena 

 (A. fuliginosa) of tropical America and the West Indies, neither 

 pair of extremities is present. The food consists of insects and 

 worms. 



There is another group of Lizards in which the body is long 

 and cylindrical, so as to give a snake-like appearance. These 

 Snake-like Lizards (see vol. i, p. 225) are adapted for progres- 

 sion through thickly -growing vegetation, like the animals they 

 resemble, and according to their size they prey upon either small 

 vertebrates or various lower forms of life. Natives of America, 

 and to a less extent of Europe and south Asia, some of those 

 from the first -named continent, possess small limbs. Many 

 species, however, are quite devoid of extremities, as illustrated 

 by the common Blind- Worm (Angms fragilis], which frequents 

 woods, downs, and heaths in Britain, feeding upon snails, slugs, 

 worms, and insects. 



SNAKES 



The members of the vast order of Snakes, which reaches its 

 maximum development in tropical regions, are specialized on 

 somewhat the same lines as the snake-like lizards. Like these 

 they are undoubtedly descended from reptiles possessing well- 

 developed limbs, and in some of the large snakes, such as 

 pythons, insignificant vestiges of the hind-limbs are still present, 

 but are not concerned in locomotion. 



Snakes exhibit a great diversity of habitat. The large majo- 

 rity pursue their prey upon the ground, others live among trees, 

 some few burrow in the ground, while others again are adapted 



