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Taxa

Xenosauridae

Reptile Families

Xenosauridae, the knob-scaled lizards, is a family of anguimorph lizards with a single living genus, Xenosaurus, found in Central America in humid rocky terrain and some semi-arid scrub, alongside four extinct genera known from Cretaceous to more recent fossils in North America and Asia. Xenosaurids are carnivorous or insectivorous, give live birth, and have rounded, bumpy scales with osteoderms. The family was once thought to include the Chinese crocodile lizard, Shinisaurus, which molecular studies now place closer to the monitor lizards and helodermatids.

Facts
Taxonomic Rank
Family 2
Member Count Band
10 to 100 Species 3
Era First Appeared
Cretaceous 4
Classification
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
In the Other Atlases

Found In

North America

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ13416819, descriptionView the Source
2. Xenosauridae (Wikipedia)
  • Introduction
    Xenosauridae is a family of anguimorph lizards whose only living representative is the genus Xenosaurus, which is native to Central America.
  • Taxonomic rank (structure-wave classification, ruling 761/926)
  • In Group: Other Lizard Families, Lead
    Xenosauridae is a family of anguimorph lizards whose only living representative is the genus Xenosaurus, which is native to Central America.
View the Source
3. Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank): Taxon metrics for Xenosauridae
Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank)Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
Quote, Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
"speciesExtantCount": 14
View the Source
4. Paleobiology Database: Taxon record for Xenosauridae
Paleobiology DatabaseTaxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
Quote, Taxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
"taxon_name": "Xenosauridae" ... "firstapp_max_ma": 125.77 ... "early_interval": "Barremian"
View the Source
Wikidata: Xenosauridae
Wikidata Q13416819, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
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