Visceral anatomy of the Amphisbaenia

Study of the visceral anatomy of 41 specimens of amphisbaenians representing 13 genera shows that they share a very distinct structure which differs from that found in either snakes or typical lizards. The left lung is large while the right is rudimentary or absent (unique); the kidneys are freely suspended in the coelom by a mesentery (unique); the spleen is usually embedded in the anterior end of the pancreas (as in snakes); the gall bladder lies in a notch in the liver, and the kidneys lie opposite each other (as in lizards). The distinctness of this pattern supports the recognition of the Amphisbaenia as a separate suborder of the Squamata.