Higher Taxa in Extant Reptiles

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

Subclass Anapsida

Order Testudines - Turtles (phylogeny)

Suborder Cryptodira

• Family Chelydridae (Snapping Turtles)

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

• Family Carettochelyidae (Pignose Turtles)
• Family Trionychidae (Softshell Turtles)

Superfamily Kinosternoidea

• Family Dermatemydidae (River Turtles)
• Family Kinosternidae (Mud and Musk Turtles)

Superfamily Chelonioidea

• Family Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)
• Family Dermochelyidae (Leatherback Turtles)

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

• Family Sphenodontidae (Tuataras)

Order Squamata (phylogeny of squamata)

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

Infraorder Iguania

• Family Agamidae (Agamas)
• Family Chamaeleonidae (Chameleons)
• Family Iguanidae ("Iguanas") [Pleurodonta]
  
  • Subfamily Corytophaninae (Casquehead Lizards)
  • Subfamily Crotaphytinae (Collared and Leopard Lizards)
  • Subfamily Hoplocercinae (Wood lizards, Clubtails)
  • Subfamily Iguaninae (Iguanas and Spinytail Iguanas)
  • Subfamily Leiocephalinae (see Tropidurinae)
  • Subfamily Leiosaurinae (see Polychrotinae)
  • Subfamily Liolaeminae (see Tropidurinae)
  • Subfamily Oplurinae (Madagascar iguanids)
  • Subfamily Phrynosomatinae (Earless, Spiny, Tree, Side-blotched and Horned Lizards)
  • Subfamily Polychrotinae (Anoles)
  • Subfamily Tropidurinae (Neotropical Ground Lizards)

Infraorder Gekkota

• Family Gekkonidae (Geckoes)
• Family Pygopodidae (Legless Lizards)
• Family Dibamidae (Blind Lizards)

Infraorder Scincomorpha (but see note 1)

• Family Cordylidae (Spinytail Lizards)
• Family Gerrhosauridae (Plated Lizards)
• Family Gymnophthalmidae (Spectacled Lizards)
• Family Teiidae (Whiptails and Tegus)
• Family Lacertidae (Lacertids, Wall Lizards)
• Family Scincidae (Skinks)
• Family Xantusiidae (Night Lizards)

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)

• Family Helodermatidae (Gila Monsters)
• Family Lanthanotidae (Earless Monitor lizards)
• Family Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)

Suborder Amphisbaenia

• Family Amphisbaenidae incl. Rhineuridae and Blanidae (Worm Lizards)
• Family Trogonophidae (Shorthead Worm Lizards)
• Family Bipedidae (Two-legged Worm Lizards)

Suborder Ophidia (Serpentes) - Snakes (phylogeny)

Superfamily Typhlopoidea (Scolecophidia)

• Family Anomalepidae (Dawn Blind Snakes)
• Family Typhlopidae (Blind Snakes)
• Family Leptotyphlopidae/Glauconiidae (Slender Blind Snakes)

Superfamily Henophidia (Booidea)

• Family Aniliidae/Ilysiidae (Pipe Snakes)
• Family Anomochilidae (Dwarf Pipe Snakes)
• Family Boidae (Boas and Pythons)
• Family Bolyeridae (Round Island Boas)
• Family Cylindrophiidae (Asian Pipe Snakes)
• Family Loxocemidae (Mexican Burrowing Pythons)
• Family Tropidophiidae incl. Ungaliophiidae (Dwarf Boas)
• Family Uropeltidae (Shield-tail Snakes)
• Family Xenopeltidae (Sunbeam Snakes)

Superfamily Xenophidia (Colubroidea = Caenophidia)

• Family Acrochordidae (File Snakes)
• Family Atractaspididae (Mole Vipers)
• Family Colubridae (Colubrids) (20 KB !)
• Family Elapidae (incl. Hydrophiidae; Cobras, Kraits, Coral Snakes, Sea Snakes)
• Family Viperidae (Vipers and Pit Vipers)

Subclass Archosauria

Order Crocodylia - Crocodiles etc.

Suborder Eusuchia

• Family Crocodylidae (Crocodylians)

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.

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