Burton's Legless Lizard, Lialis burtonis

Plate 162. Burton's Lialis, Lialis burtoni (now known as Burton's Legless Lizard, Lialis burtonis) found in the Mallee Scrub

These lizards are even more like snakes than the Pygopus, from the almost imperceptible smallness of the rudiments of the hind limbs, scarcely larger or longer than an ordinary adjacent scale, and the immovable eyelids. The external open ear, however, and fleshy tongue indicate at a glance the true affinity to be with lizards and not the snakes.

Our figure 2 shows the colouring half-way between that species and L. Burtoni from Trinity Bay, having longitudinal dark streaks on top of head and the large conspicuous white spots on dark greyish-brown under side, and vertical dark patches on side of cheeks and lower jaws, as in L. Burtoni, but with lighter, plain, unstreaked upper side, with a small dot in centre of each scale, as in L. punctulata. Other specimens in the Museum Collection have the five longitudinal brown streaks and rows of dark and light spots on whole of upper surface, as in the typical L. Burtoni, with rows of conspicuous white spots on darker under surface. All the varieties have the curious and most unusual colouring of the darker surface being below, instead of above, as usual.

The specimens found in Victoria, measured above are smaller than those generally of warmer latitudes; but I have a specimen in the Museum from Duke of York Island, of the size, shape, and colouring of our figure 1.

Not very uncommon in the Mallee Scrub and other warmer parts of Victoria.