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{{review}}
 
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[[Image:Chinese_water_dragon.jpg|400px|thumb|right|'''Chinese water dragon (family Agamidae)''' (© Jakub Hałun, Wikimedia Commons)]]
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==Lizard Classification Table==
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!bgcolor="#FFCC99"| Suborder
 
!bgcolor="#FFCC99"| Suborder
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Iguania  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Iguania  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Agamidae  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Agamidae  
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Water Dragons
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| [[Water Dragon|Water Dragons]]
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 53
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 53
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 300
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 300
 
|-  
 
|-  
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Iguanidae  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Iguanidae  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Iguanas
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Iguanas
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 650
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 650
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Chamaeleontidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Chamaeleontidae
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Chameleons
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| [[Chameleon|Chameleons]]
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 4
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 4
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 85
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 85
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Gekkota  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Gekkota  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Gekkonidae  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Gekkonidae  
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 800
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 800
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Pygopodidae  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Pygopodidae  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Snake lizards
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Snake lizards
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 31
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 31
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Scincomorpha
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Scincomorpha
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Lacertidae  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Lacertidae  
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 200
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 200
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Teiidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Teiidae
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Tegus, whiptails
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| [[Black Tegu|Tegus]], whiptails
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 39
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 39
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 227
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 227
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Xantusiidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Xantusiidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Desert night lizards
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Desert night lizards
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 16
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 16
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Scincidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Scincidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Skinks
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Skinks
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 1275
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 1275
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Cordylidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Cordylidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Girdle-tailed lizards
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Girdle-tailed lizards
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 50
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 50
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Dibamidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Dibamidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Blind lizards
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Blind lizards
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 4
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 4
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Anguinomorpha
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Anguinomorpha
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Xenosauridae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Xenosauridae
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 4
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 4
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Anguidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Anguidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Anguids
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Anguids
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 75
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 75
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Helodermatidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Helodermatidae
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Beaded lizard, Gila Monster
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| [[Mexican Beaded Lizard|Beaded lizard]], [[Gila Monster|Gila Monster]]
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 1
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 1
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 2
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 2
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Varanidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Varanidae
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Monitors
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| [[Monitor|Monitors]]
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 1
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 1
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 31
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| 31
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| "
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|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"|  
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Lanthanotidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Lanthanotidae
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Borneo earless lizard
 
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC"| Borneo earless lizard
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|-
 
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* '''For more information on the lizard taxonomy, see''' [[Lizard Taxonomy and Identification|Lizard Taxonomy and Identification]].
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==Families==
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===Agamidae===
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* Family of lizards of the old world
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* [[Acrodont dentition|Acrodont dentition]]
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* Includes the agama (''Agama agama''), frilled lizard (''Chamydosaurus kingii''), [[Water Dragon|water dragon]] (''Psysignathus cocincinus''), [[Spiny-tailed Lizard|Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard]] (''Uromastyx aegyptius'') and the sail-fin lizard (''Hydrosaurus pustulatus'')
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===Iguanidae===
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* Family of lizards in the new world and a few species in the Indian Ocean region
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* [[Pleurodont dentition|Pleurodont dentition]]
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* Includes the [[Green Iguana|green iguana]] (''Iguana iguana''), the [[Green Anole|green anole]] (''Anolis carolinensis''), [[Basilisk|basilisks]] (''Basiliscus'' spp.), horned lizards (''Phrynosoma'' spp.) spiny lizards (''Sceloporus'' spp.) and [[Rhinocerous Iguana|West Indian rock iguanas]] (''Cyclura'' spp.)
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===Chamaeleontidae===
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* Old world or true [[Chameleon|chameleons]]
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* Anatomical differences from other lizards may include astonishingly long tongues, ability for colour change, oppositely opposable digits and prehensile tails.
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* Generally viviparous
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===Gekkonidae===
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* Geckos
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* Large and diverse family which have colonised all tropical areas and extended into temperature regions
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* Primarily nocturnal insectivores
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* Anatomical differences from other lizards may include toe-pads, eyelids that have fused and are transparent as in snakes and eyes that move independently and are usually large
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* When subjected to daylight the pupils contract to a narrow slit with a series of pinholes
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* Generally oviparous with one to two eggs laid but some are viviparous
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* Three subfamilies are Eublepharine (no toe-pads), Sphaerodactylinae and Gekkoninae
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* Includes the commonly kept [[Leopard Gecko|leopard gecko]] (''Eublepharis macularius'')
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===Pygopodidae===
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* Includes snake lizards (''Lialis'' spp.) and the scalyfoot (''Pygopus'' spp.) which are without forelimbs and their hindlimbs are reduced to flaps of skin
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===Lacertidae===
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* Wall or sand lizards of the old world
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* Insectivorous
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* All oviparous except the viviparous lizard (''Lacerta vivapara'')
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* Includes the oscellated green lizard (''Lacerta lepida''), rock lizard (''Lacerta saxicola'')
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===Teiidae===
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* New world equivalents of the Lacertidae
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* The smaller are insectivorous and the larger carnivorous
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* Includes the whiptails and racerunners (''Cnemidophorus'' spp.), jungle runners (''Ameiva'' spp.) and [[Black Tegu|tegus]] (''Tupinambis'' spp.)
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===Xantusiidae===
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* Desert night lizards
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* ''Xantusia'' spp.
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===Scincidae===
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* True skinks
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* Little sexual dimorphism
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* Includes the blue-tongued skink (''Tiliqua'' spp.), [[Prehensile-tailed Skink|prehensile-tailed skink]] (''Corucia zebrata''), five-lined skink (''Eumeces fasciatus'') and the casqueheads (''Tribolonotus'' spp.)
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===Cordylidae===
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* Zonures or girdle-tailed lizards
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* All require very hot, dry conditions
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* Includes ''Cordylus'' spp.
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===Dibamidae===
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* Blind lizards
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* ''Dibamus'' and ''Anelytropsis'' spp.
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===Xenosauridae===
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* Consists of the Chinese crocodile-tailed lizard (''Shinisaurus crocodiluris'') and the new world xenosaurs (''Xenosaurus'' spp.)
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===Anguidae===
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* Long and snake-like in form
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* In America, Asia, Africa and Europe but species are not numerous
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* Both oviparous and viviparous species, both diurnal and nocturnal species and generally terrestrial
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* Insectivorous or carnivorous
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* Includes slow-worm (''Anguis fragilis''), alligator lizards (''Elgaria'' spp.), glass lizards (''Ophisaurus'' spp.) legless lizards (''Annelia'' spp.) and the sheltopusik (''Ophisaurus apodus'')
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===Helodermatidae===
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* Two species that are the only venomous lizards
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* [[Gila Monster|Gila monster]] (''Heloderma suspectum'') and the [[Mexican Beaded Lizard|Mexican beaded lizard]] (''Heloderma horridum'')
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===Varanidae===
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* [[Monitor|Monitor]] lizards
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* Mostly large powerful predators or carrion eaters
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* Includes the [[Monitor|savannah monitor]] (''Varanus exanthematicus''), [[Monitor|Nile monitor]] (''Varanus niloticus'') and the Komodo dragon (''Varanus komodoensis'')
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===Lanthanotidae===
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* Monotypic family
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* The Bornean earless lizard (''Lanthanotus borneensis'')
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[[Category:Lizard_Taxonomy]]
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