Anguidae is the name of a large and diverse family of lizards native to the Northern Hemisphere. The group includes the
slowworms,
glass lizards, and
alligator lizards, among others. The family is divided into three
subfamilies and contains 94 species in eight
genera. They have hard
osteoderms beneath their scales, and many of the species have reduced or absent limbs, giving them a
snake-like appearance, although others are fully limbed.