Scientists Discover Largest Extinct Worm Lizard

Paleontologists from Tunisia, Germany, France, and Poland have identified a new fossil species of worm-like lizard named Terastiodontosaurus marcelosanchezi, the largest known representative of its group, found in Tunisia's Eocene rock layers. This creature, with a skull length exceeding five centimeters, had powerful jaws that adapted it to a diet of snails and likely lived on the surface rather than underground. The study, published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, highlights unique dental features that distinguish it from other amphisbaenians, which are typically limbless reptiles resembling a worm. In a separate incident in Port St. Lucie, Florida, residents Chris and Lisa DeBona encountered an Argentine black and white tegu lizard, an invasive species that poses threats to local wildlife and pets. Experts emphasize the ecological risks associated with tegus, originally exotic pets that have thrived in Florida's environment. Both discoveries underscore the importance of understanding the diverse reptilian life on Earth and the impact of invasive species.