Southwest Iberian Worm Lizard

Also known as Iberian Worm Lizard, Mediterranean Worm Lizard, European Worm Lizard

Subterranean by nature, these limbless reptiles spend almost their entire lives tunneling through damp topsoil, leaf litter, and embedded stones, using reinforced skulls to bulldoze through compact earth. Their minute eyes are shielded by translucent scales, leaving them to navigate underground mazes through keen scent and acute sensitivity to vibrations. Females lay small clutches of elongated eggs in deep subterranean burrows, where stable soil humidity protects developing young from harsh Mediterranean droughts.