Amphisbaena xera, known commonly as the dry worm lizard, Puerto Rican dryland worm lizard, or the North American worm lizard, is a worm lizard species. It is endemic to Puerto Rico.
Etymology The specific name, xera, which is from Greek via Late Latin, means "dry".Mish, F.C., Editor in Chief. 2004. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam Webster, Incorporated. 39a + 1622 pp. . ("xer- or xero- comb form, p. 1449.)
Geographic range It is found in Puerto Rico, both on the main island and also on the offshore Isla de Caja de Muertos.
See also
Fauna of Puerto Rico List of endemic fauna of Puerto Rico
References
Further reading Schwartz, A., and R. Thomas. 1975. A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (Amphisbaena xera, p. 69.) Thomas, R. 1966. Additional Notes on the Amphisbaenids of Greater Puerto Rico. Breviora (249): 1-23. ("Amphisbaena xera new species", pp. 7–13, Figure 3.)