Worm Lizards: Underground Survivors | Science News

Science News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 10, 2026 · 1m

Meet the amphisbaenians—creatures that look like pink earthworms but are secretly lizard and snake relatives, some even sporting vestigial limbs. Named after mythological two-headed serpents, they glide forward and backward with ease, burrowing through soil using an accordion-like motion. Found mostly in Africa and South America—with a few in North America—they’ve got tough skulls shaped for digging and eyes covered by scales, relying on vibration-sensing ears instead of sight to hunt insects and rodents. One species even lives inside leafcutter ant nests. These underground marvels prove that…