The taxonomy of squamates has been in flux, and new revolutionary approaches to the study of evolution, particularly the science of cladistics and the use of DNA in reconstructing evolutionary relationships, has resulted in major taxonomic rearrangements. These rearrangements are designed to reflect the evolutionary history of squamates much more accurately. For example, DNA analysis has clarified the evolutionary relationships among the “worm lizards,” or amphisbaenians, and facilitated their placement into four separate lizard families (Amphisbaenidae, Bipedidae, Rhineuridae, and Trogonophidae).

The boundaries of most lizard families remained stable until the cladistic approach to systematics—a process created by German zoologist Willi Hennig in 1966—changed the fundamental way in which evolutionary relationships among organisms are examined. The use of derived shared traits to group taxa provides a powerful way to place the evolution of taxa at all levels into a single, unified framework. Phylogenetic systematics (cladistics) is a rapidly moving area, and new phylogenies are routinely published in scientific journals. Although many such studies simply confirm the relationships based on antiquated methods (such as numerical taxonomy), some have drastically changed the taxonomies depicted in classical textbooks. Most important, traditional taxonomic categories (such as order, suborder, superfamily, and the like) are fast becoming obsolete, largely because they have no evolutionary meaning. For example, the word family is simply a descriptor. To some extent, it is then rather arbitrary whether one refers to a particular group as family, subfamily, or other division. What is most important is the content of the group. Each group, or clade, must include an ancestor and all of its descendents, each of which shares one or more derived (new) traits.

For convenience, the following lizard classification is adapted from Vitt and Caldwell (2008) and Pianka and Vitt (2003), recognizing that some taxa have already been revised on the basis of cladistic analyses. The dates of earliest fossils are taken from R. Hoffstetter (1962), Evans et al. (2002), and Datta and Ra (2006). Extinct groups are not listed. For a classification of snakes, see snake.

• Suborder Sauria

  Reptiles with a single temporal opening lying above the bar formed by postorbital and squamosal bones. Pectoral girdle and interorbital septum always present. Well-developed male copulatory organs (hemipenes) and saclike ovaries in females are examples of common structures. About 4,450 species (not including snakes) of lizards are known.

  • Infraorder Iguania (iguanians)

    Group sharing a fleshy tongue and lingual prehension of prey with the tuatara. (Sphenodon)

    • Acrodonta

      Most teeth merged to the top of the jaw margin. Fossils date to the late Triassic.

      • Family Agamidae (agamas)

        Late Cretaceous to present. Old World tropics and subtropics, except Madagascar. 2 subfamilies, 52 genera, and more than 400 species (31 in genus Agama).

      • Family Chamaeleonidae (chameleons)

        Group characterized by zygodactylous, grasping feet and a long, slender, extensile tongue. 4 genera (Bradypodion, Brookesia, Chamaeleo, and Rhampholeon) with about 130 species. About half are restricted to Madagascar, and the remainder is primarily African. 2 species occur in western Asia, 1 in India, and 1 reaching Mediterranean region. Most are insectivores and 17–25 cm (7–10 in.) long; the largest reaches 60 cm (24 in.) and will eat birds.

    • Pleurodonta

      Dentition pleurodont; teeth are fused, but not rooted, to the inner sides of the jawbone. Teeth are replaced when lost.

      • Family Iguanidae (iguanid lizards)

        Lizards with well-developed limbs and movable eyelids. Oligocene, possibly late Eocene to present. Dominant family of North, Central, and South America, the West Indies, and the Galapagos Islands. 1 genus on Fiji and Tonga, 2 genera on Madagascar. Adult lengths from 10 cm (4 in.; Uta) to 2 metres (6.6 feet; Iguana). A family of diverse forms including spiny desert dwellers (Phrynosoma), arboreal species (Anolis), and seagoing iguanas (Amblyrhynchus). 8 subfamilies, 50 genera, 300 or more species (200 in 1 genus, Anolis).

  • Clade Scleroglossa

    Lizards with jaw prehension for prey capture and well-developed chemosensory system.

    • Infraorder Gekkota

      • Family Dibamidae (blind lizards)

        Small to moderate-sized lizards that are snakelike in body form with reduced limbs. Apparently, they live underground. 2 genera with 11 species are known. The distribution includes Mexico and eastern Indochina and the East Indies.

      • Family Gekkonidae (geckos and pygopodids)

        Small to medium-sized lizards covered dorsally and ventrally by small granular scales often containing tubercles. Limbs present but greatly reduced in pygopodids. Approximately 100 genera, about 1,200 species.

        • Subfamily Eublepharinae (banded and leopard geckos)

          Geckos with movable eyelids and no adhesive toe pads. In general, they use an active foraging mode. They live in southwestern North America, Central America, southern Asia, and Africa south of the Sahara. 6 genera and about 25 species are known.

        • Subfamily Gekkoninae (geckos)

          Geckos that may or may not have adhesive toe pads. They usually have spectacles over their eyes and granular skin (often with small tubercles). They occur throughout the world in the tropics, subtropics, and deserts. 77 genera and over 800 species are known.

        • Subfamily Pygopodinae (flap-footed lizards)

          About 8 genera, 35 species. Australia and New Guinea. Some burrowers, others surface dwelling; hind limbs represented by scaly flaps.

  • Clade Autarchoglossa

    Active foraging lizards with extensible hydrostatic tongues used to obtain and transmit chemical information to a well-developed vomeronasal organ in the roof of the mouth.

    • Infraorder Scincomorpha

      9 characters are unique to all lizard families in this group, including loss of the nasal-prefrontal contact and flat imbricate scales on the tongue.

      • Superfamily Lacertoidea

        7 characters unique to all members, including presence of a prearticular crest and a pit (or sulcus) present on the dorsal surface of the retroarticular process.

        • Family Gymnophthalmidae (spectacled lizards or microteiids)

          Small lizards with relatively small limbs, reduced limbs, or no limbs. Restricted to the Neotropics. 38 genera with more than 160 species.

        • Family Lacertidae (lacertids and wall lizards)

          Osteoderms absent, supratemporal fossa roofed over. Eocene (possibly Cretaceous) to present, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Morphologically uniform, conical heads, scaly bodies, movable eyelids, well-developed limbs and tail. Length 15–60 cm (6–24 in.). Approximately 30 genera, 220 species.

        • Family Teiidae (racerunners, whiptails, and tegus)

          Osteoderms absent, supratemporal fossa open. Late Cretaceous to present. New World only, primarily in tropics and subtropics. Great variation in the family, including large terrestrial predators (Tupinambis), large semiaquatic snail eaters (Dracaena), and lacertid-like “racerunners” (Cnemidophorus). Size range 7–120 cm (3–48 in.). 2 subfamilies, 10 genera, 122 species.

        • Family Xantusiidae (night lizards)

          Small secretive lizards with spectacles over the eyes, the ability to clean the spectacle with the tongue, and all members producing live young. They occur in southwestern North America, Mexico, Central America, and Cuba. 3 genera are known, the best-known being Xantusia, 24 species.

      • Superfamily Scincoidea

        At least 16 unique characters are shared by members of this group.

        • Family Cordylidae (spiny-tailed or girdle-tailed lizards)

          Heavily armored small to moderately large lizards. They occur in Africa south of the Sahara. The head has 4 parietal scales. Most species live in arid or semiarid habitats and are usually associated with rocks. They use rock crevices for refuge from predators and many species are highly flattened dorsoventrally so that they can enter narrow crevices. 1 genus, Chamaesaura, is nearly limbless and snakelike. 3 genera and about 55 species.

        • Family Gerrhosauridae (African plated lizards)

          Lizards with 2 parietal scales on the head and each nostril enclosed in 3–4 scales. Diurnal lizards that live in a variety of habitats. Some are semiaquatic, some swim through sand, and many live on the ground. They occur in Africa south of the Sahara and Madagascar. 5 genera and about 34 species.

        • Family Scincidae (skinks)

          Skull arches present, osteoderms (dermal bone) present. Late Cretaceous to present. Worldwide (except in polar and subpolar regions), greatest diversity in Old World tropics and Australian deserts. Typically with conical heads, cylindrical bodies, tapering tails. Primarily ground dwelling or burrowing, some arboreal, some semiaquatic. Limb reduction common. Majority below 12 cm (5 in.), largest reaches 60 cm (24 in.). 2 subfamilies, about 137 genera, and nearly 1,250 species.

    • Infraorder Anguimorpha

      One of the best supported clades of lizards with many shared derived traits.

      • Superfamily Anguoidea

        • Family Anguidae (Alligator lizards, glass lizards, galliwasps, and California legless lizards)

          Skull arches, osteoderms present. 6 mandibular bones. Late Cretaceous to present. Most in Americas, a few Eurasian. Glass lizards (Ophisaurus) are limbless “grass swimmers” reaching 120 cm (48 in.). Alligator lizards (Gerrhonotus) and galliwasps (Diploglossus) have 4 limbs, somewhat elongate bodies, and reach 37 cm (15 in.). California legless lizards are limbless burrowers with no skull arches. Length 11–25 cm (4–10 in.). California and Baja California. 4 subfamilies, 13 genera, and just over 100 species.

        • Family Xenosauridae (knob-scaled lizards)

          Shape of interclavicle bone and presence of tubercles in the osteoderms distinguishes the family. Late Cretaceous from North America. Presently, 2 genera, 1 in Mexico (Xenosaurus) with about 6 species and 1 in China (Shinisaurus) with 1 species.

      • Superfamily Varanoidea

        • Family Helodermatidae (Gila monsters and beaded lizards)

          Venomous; grooved hollow fangs in lower jaw; heavy-bodied. Skin texture “beaded.” Oligocene to present; southwest United States and Mexico. Adult length to 50 cm (20 in.) in Gila monster, 80 cm (32 in.) in beaded lizard. 1 genus (Heloderma), 2 species. These lizards feed on vertebrates, which they swallow whole, and vertebrate eggs.

        • Family Lanthanotidae (earless monitor lizards)

          This group is similar to Varanidae in most respects. The earless monitor is the only member of Lanthanotus, the only genus of this group.

        • Family Varanidae (monitor lizards)

          Osteoderms reduced, 7 cervical vertebrae, postorbital arch incomplete. Restricted to Old World tropics and subtropics. Fossils from Cretaceous of North America. Smallest species is adult at 20 cm (8 in.), largest exceeds 3 metres (10 feet). General uniformity of appearance with elongate head and neck, relatively heavy body, long tail, well-developed limbs. 2 subfamilies, 2 genera; Lanthanotus (subfamily Lanthonotinae) contains a single species (L. borneensis), and Varanus (subfamily Varainae) contains 50 species. This group includes the largest extant lizard, the Komodo dragon.

    • Suborder Amphisbaenia

      • Family Bipedidae (two-legged worm lizards)

        Worm lizards with front limbs that are molelike. 1 genus, Bipes, is known and contains 3 species. Restricted to western Mexico and Baja California.

      • Family Amphisbaenidae (worm lizards)

        Limbless, wormlike lizards that are found through much of the tropical world but are entering the temperate zones of South Africa, South America, Europe, and Asia. They have short stubby tails and reduced eyes. 17 genera and about 130 species are known.

      • Family Rhineuridae (Florida worm lizards)

        A single species, Rhineura floridana, is known and is restricted to peninsular Florida. It is limbless and small, often mistaken for an earthworm.

      • Family Trogonophidae (short-headed worm lizards)

        Limbless worm lizards with spade-shaped heads. They occur in North Africa, the eastern Arabian Peninsula, and the Horn of Africa. 4 genera with 6 species are recognized.

Critical appraisal

Advances in gene sequencing (especially the use of nuclear genes) and analytical techniques have resulted in rapid changes in the taxonomy of lizards and other reptiles and in a better understanding of their evolutionary history. Throughout the field of zoology, taxonomic structures are shifting from the Linnean approach, which groups organisms according to their visible anatomical structures, to the phylogenetic (or cladistic) approach, which groups organisms on the basis of their evolutionary relationships. As a result, long-standing taxonomies have changed dramatically and will likely continue to change as more information becomes available. At present, different taxonomic arrangements of lizard families can be found in a variety of books and research articles and on the Internet.

As the genetic relationships between different groups of lizards continue to be examined using modern techniques of DNA analysis, many groups of lizards have been reclassified; however, zoologists are finding out that the taxonomic hierarchy of the Linnean structure cannot accommodate all of the new information. Since this work is only partially complete and most zoologists continue to be heavily influenced by the Linnean approach, modern taxonomies of lizards are not straightforward, and several different classifications exist.

This confusion also extends to the hierarchical ranking of different groups of lizards. Under Linnean rules, subfamilies are nested within families, families within orders, and so on. In modern taxonomic arrangements based on evolutionary history, the most important point to consider is whether all members of a given taxonomic group can be traced to a single common ancestor. All descendants of this ancestor are related on the basis of homology and shared derived traits. Whether one refers to a clade of lizards as a family or subfamily is arbitrary, and some classifications do not assign ranks (such as order, family, and genus) at all. For convenience, the classification above is a fusion of the traditional Linnean classification and one based on phylogenetic relationships.