Iberian Worm Lizard

The Iberian worm lizard, Blanus cinereus, is a limbless burrowing reptile native to Portugal and central and southern Spain, belonging to the family Blanidae within Amphisbaenia, a distinct lineage of squamates separate from both lizards and snakes. Despite a superficial resemblance to an earthworm, it is a true vertebrate with a small blunt head adapted for digging, eyes reduced and covered by skin, and a ringed body with small smooth scales colored fleshy-pink to violet or brown depending on locality. It lives underground in Mediterranean habitats between roughly 400 and 1400 meters elevation, favoring humus-rich soil with scattered rocks that help it regulate its temperature.