The Florida Worm Lizard (Rhineura floridana) is neither a worm nor a lizard. It is the only member of the genus Rhineura. This odd little creature has no eyes. It spends most of its time underground and does not need vision. In the event of heavy rain, you may see these odd fellows above ground. They feed on any invertebrate they can, including spiders, earthworms, maggots, and ants. To make them even weirder, they are sex-less in that they are neither male nor female. They reproduce by a process called parthenogenesis. This means that they basically make clones of themselves. A benefit of this method is that they do not need to find a mate which could be difficult when you spend your life in the dirt. Our most common ancestors are the Amniota. This section of our clade represents animals that develop from an egg, either internal or external. The Florida worm lizard may not be the cutest creatures, but we think there is something lovable about these unique little underdogs.
