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Sheltopusik
Pseudopus apodus
40.0972, 23.3154
Field Notes
Description:
About 50-60 cm long but can grow to 135 cm. It is a species of large glass lizard found in southern Europe and Central Asia. It is tan colored, paler on the ventral surface and the head, with a ring-like/segmented appearance that makes it look like a giant earthworm with a distinctive fold of skin down each side called a lateral groove. Sheltopusik can be quickly distinguished from a snake by its ears, eyelids, and ventral scales.
Habitat:
It inhabits open country, such as short grassland or sparsely wooded hills. I found this one next to the tourist resort. It was trying to get across the road. We had to stop the traffic and let it pass.
Notes:
Also commonly called Pallas' glass lizard or the European legless lizard. The released tail may break into pieces, leading to the myth that the lizard can shatter like glass and reassemble itself later.
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