Family Diploglossidae Cope, 1865

Neotropical Forest Lizards

Fig. 4

Diagnosis. Members of this family have (1) claw sheath, present or absent, (2) contact between the nasal and rostral scales, present or absent, (3) scales in contact with the nasal scale, 4–6, (4) postnasal scales, 1–2, (5) position of the nostril in the nasal scale, central or posterior, (6) keels on dorsal body scales, present or absent, (7) digits per limb, zero, four, or five, (8) longest toe lamellae, 8–35 except for limbless species, (9) dorsal scale rows, 65–171, (10) relative head width, 8.52–20.0, (11) relative rostral height, 37.6–67.0, (12) relative frontonasal length, 1.47–4.44, (13) relative interparietal distance, 0–1.42 (14) relative axilla-groin distance, 49.7–76.6.

Content. Fifty-five currently recognized species in three subfamilies (Table 3): Celestinae subfam. nov., Diploglossinae, and Siderolamprinae subfam. nov.

Distribution. Diploglossidae occurs in Middle America, South America, and on islands in the Caribbean (Fig. 4).

Etymology. As for the type genus.