Higher Taxa in Extant Reptiles

(modified after Zug et al. 2001 and Frost et al. 2001)

Subclass Anapsida

Order Testudines - Turtles (phylogeny)

Suborder Cryptodira

Superfamily Testudinoidea

  • Family Emydidae (Pond Turtles/Box and Water Turtles)
  • Family Testudinidae (Tortoises)
  • Family Geoemydidae (Bataguridae) (Asian River Turtles, Leaf and Roofed Turtles, Asian Box Turtles)

Superfamily Trionychoidea

Superfamily Kinosternoidea

Superfamily Chelonioidea

Suborder Pleurodira (phylogeny)

  • Family Chelidae (Austro-American Sideneck Turtles)

Superfam. Pelomedusoidea

  • Family Pelomedusidae (Afro-American Sideneck Turtles)
  • Family Podocnemididae (Madagascan Big-headed and American Sideneck River Turtles)

Subclass Lepidosauria

Order Rhynchocephalia

Suborder Sphenodontida

Order Squamata (phylogeny of squamata)

Suborder Sauria (Lacertilia) - Lizards (phylogenies1 and 2)

Infraorder Iguania

Infraorder Gekkota

Infraorder Scincomorpha (but see note 1)

Infraorder Diploglossa

  • Family Anguidae (Glass Lizards and Alligator Lizards; Lateral Fold Lizards)
  • Family Anniellidae (American Legless lizards)
  • Family Xenosauridae (Knob-scaled Lizards)

Infraorder Platynota (Varanoidea)

Suborder Amphisbaenia

Suborder Ophidia (Serpentes) - Snakes (phylogeny)

Superfamily Typhlopoidea (Scolecophidia)

Superfamily Henophidia (Booidea)

Superfamily Xenophidia (Colubroidea = Caenophidia)

Subclass Archosauria

Order Crocodylia - Crocodiles etc.

Suborder Eusuchia


References:

Overall taxonomy mainly after

Zug,G.R.; Vitt, L.J. & Caldwell, J.P. (2001)
Herpetology, 2nd ed.
Academic Press San Diego, London, [...]XIV + 630 pp.

Iguania after

Frost, D.R.; Etheridge, R.; Janies, D. & Titus, T.A. (2001)
Total evidence, sequence alignment, evolution of Polychrotid lizards, and a reclassification of the Iguania (Squamata: Iguania).
American Museum Novitates 3343: 38 pp.

Turtles mainly after

Fujita, M.K.; Tag N. Engstrom, David E. Starkey and H. Bradley Shaffer (2004)
Turtle phylogeny: insights from a novel nuclear intron.
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 31 (3): 1031-1040
 

Note 1: According to Harris et al. the Cordylidae, Gerrhosauridae, Scincidae, and Xantusiidae form a clade whereas the Lacertidae and Teiidae from independent clades:

Harris, D. J., Marshall, J.C. & Crandall, K.A. (2001)
Squamate relationships based on C-mos nuclear DNA sequences: increased taxon sampling improves bootstrap support.
Amphibia-Reptilia 22 (2): 235-242

For further taxonomic references on higher taxa see family pages or follow links to phylogeny pages.


BACK to The REPTILE DATABASE Home Page


Reptile Banners

Top Reptile Sites

Roatan

Roatan

Reptiles Search


This page is maintained by Peter Uetz

Created: 10 Nov 1995 / Last changed or updated: 21 May 2007