This document summarizes the characteristics of two non-typical chordates: the glass snake (Ophisaurus) and the flying lizard (Draco). It provides classification and key attributes of each species. The glass snake is mistaken for a snake but lacks limbs and has eyelids, making it a lizard. It lives in burrows. The flying lizard has wing-like flaps of skin and can glide between trees, representing an extreme adaptation for its arboreal lifestyle. Structures like the patagium and gular pouches are described. Examples of each species' geographic distribution are also mentioned.
2. TOPIC: 1- Ophisaurus (Glass Snakes)
2- Draco ( Flying Lizard)
Submitted To- Dr. Satyam Dwivedi
Submitted By- Bini Kanyal
Roll No. – 2111010
Department of Zoology
3. Do you think it’s a snake?
If yes, then you are wrong, it’s not a snake it’s an
ophiosaurus known as a glass snake.
4. Ophiosaurus
How do we classify it?
CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Animalia
Sub Phylum: Vertebrata
Superclass: Gnathostomata
Class: Reptilia
Sub class : Lepidosauria
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Lacertilia
Genus: Ophiosaurus
5. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Ophiosaurus is commonly found in the U.S.A., Mexico,
Western Asia, Africa, and India. The Indian species
is O.gracilis found in the Eastern Himalayas.
HABIT AND HABITAT
It is a burrowing animal.
6.
7. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
OPHIOSAURUS: GLASS SNAKE
• Also known as glass snake.
• Body is short, snake-like, having greenish-brown coloration with longitudinal stripes and divided into
head, trunk, and tail.
• Rest of the body is covered with rectangular epidermal scales arranged in circular and longitudinal
rows. Beneath scales, the body plates have a hard texture.
• Head contains mouth, nostrils, and eyes. Each eye with eyelids is reduced due to burrowing life.
Behind the eyes is the tympanum.
• Ventrolateral longitudinal skin folds terminate into two locomotory spikes near the cloaca.
• Limbs are absent. The tail is fragile and breaks more quickly than in any other lizard.
8. SPECIAL FEATURES
Ophiosaurus is distinguished from snakes by a narrow gap of mouth, movable eyelids,
and tympanic holes and from limbless Amphibia by the presence of epidermal scales
and like earthworms and a long tail. A group of American limbless lizards (worm
lizards) has head shields, annular bands like earthworms, and no scales.
IDENTIFICATION
Since the animal is without limbs and has the above features, hence it
is Ophiosaurus or Glass Snake.
12. • GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Draco is commonly distributed in Myanmar, India, Malaysia,
Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
• HABIT AND HABITAT
Draco is arboreal, living on trees. It feeds on small insects.
13.
14. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DRACO : FLYING
LIZARD
• Commonly known as flying dragon or flying lizard.
• Body is dorsoventrally compressed, measuring 15 to 22 cm in length, and divided
into head, neck, trunk, and tail.
• Head is more or less triangular and contains eyes, tympanum behind eyes, and
nostril. Eyes are small with eyelids. Teeth heterodont and attached to the edges of
the jaws.
• Tongue is thick and short. Some animals have thoracic sacs or dorsal spines.
15. • Neck contains three hooks forming flap-like appendages. Below the neck, there are
sac-like structures known as gular pouches, which are larger in males than females
and they help in copulation.
• Forelimbs and hind limbs normal.
• On both sides of the body wing or patagium formed by the extension of the skin is
present. The patagium is supported by lateral ribs.
• Tail long, slender and whip-like.
16. SPECIAL FEATURES
• Draco or flying lizard shows extreme adaptation for flying life and thus
avoids its enemies on the ground. The most significant structures are
membranous wings or patagia, which volplane from a height. Flying
lizard is adapted for climbing and gliding from higher to lower branches.
Draco is brilliantly and beautifully colored like flowers of trees in which
it lives and thus it shows camouflage (mimicry)
