NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Many-lined Delma
Delma impar (Fischer, 1882)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The striped legless lizard (Delma impar) is a species of lizard in the Pygopodidae family endemic to Australia. As of 2015 it is threatened with extinction, with few habitats left.
The lizard is up to 30 cm in length. It is superficially similar to a snake, and sometimes confused with the deadly brown snake. However, it is more closely related to the gecko and the skink. It has vestigial legs and an unforked tongue. Most of its body is made up of a non-detachable tail.
Wikipedia contributors, Striped legless lizard; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T05:56:31.240974+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Delma impar (Fischer, 1882)
- Name authority
- (Fischer, 1882)
- Common name
- Many-lined Delma
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Pygopodidae
- Genus
- Delma
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderGekkota
- familyPygopodidae
- genusDelma
- speciesDelma impar (Fischer, 1882)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Delma. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Rusty-topped DelmaDelma borea Kluge, 1974 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Butler's Legless LizardDelma butleri Storr, 1987 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Desert DelmaDelma desmosa Maryan, Aplin & Adams, 2007 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pilbara DelmaDelma elegans Kluge, 1974 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Patternless DelmaDelma inornata Kluge, 1974 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Gulfs DelmaDelma molleri Lütken, 1863 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Painted DelmaDelma petersoni Shea, 1991 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Leaden DelmaDelma plebeia de Vis, 1888 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Single-striped DelmaDelma labialis Shea, 1987 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Sharp-snouted DelmaDelma nasuta Kluge, 1974 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Marble-faced DelmaDelma australis Kluge, 1974 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Javelin LizardDelma concinna (Kluge, 1974) | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Pseudodelma impar Fischer, 1882 Fischer, 1882 | synonym |
| Delma lineata Rosén, 1905 Rosén, 1905 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Delma&species=impar Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:34GZ8. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.