Munoa worm lizard

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Munoa worm lizard (Amphisbaena munoai)

The Munoa worm lizard is a small, burrowing reptile found in grasslands of southern Brazil and Uruguay. It is not currently threatened.

Key facts:
- Scientific name: Amphisbaena munoai; named after Uruguayan zoologist Juan Ignacio Muñoa.
- Appearance: rounded head; many body segments (202–218 annuli) and tail segments (18–25); 4 precloacal pores.
- Habitat: grasslands at elevations of 100–500 meters; terrestrial and fossorial, often hiding under stones or decaying bark.
- Diet: mainly termites, plus other small insect larvae.
- Reproduction: seasonal breeding. Females fertilized June–October; eggs laid November–December; copulation likely September–November; eggs often found in ant nests. Males mature with smaller snout-vent length than females.
- Distribution: pampas region of southern Brazil and Uruguay, in temperate climates.