European glass lizard
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
European glass lizards eat snails and earthworms, among other foods.
THE REAL WORLD
The real European glass lizard
- Scientific name
- Pseudopus apodus
- Japanese name
- ヨーロッパヘビトカゲ
- Group
- Amphibians and reptiles
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Anguidae
- Genus
- Pseudopus
Its legs have dwindled away, so it looks like a snake, but it is a lizard. It lives from central Europe to Central Asia.
Unlike snakes, it has eyelids, so it can close its eyes, and it has ear openings.
Its body is stiff and covered with smooth scales, and it cannot bend its body as much as a snake can.
How the European glass lizard lives
They live in dry grasslands, scrub and similar places.
上野動物園Basic data
- Size
- Total length: 90–135 cm, up to 150 cm
- Weight
- 0.5–1 kg
- Diet
- Snails, insects, earthworms, small vertebrates, and other animals
- Range
- Central Europe to the Balkans, Turkey, and Central Asia
Where the European glass lizard has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ヨーロッパヘビトカゲ
- 简体中文
- 帝王蛇蜥
- 繁體中文
- 帝王蛇蜥
- Español
- Sheltopusik
- Français
- Orvet géant des Balkans
- Deutsch
- Scheltopusik
- Italiano
- Pseudopo
- العربية
- سحلية أبو قرع
- Русский
- Желтопузик
- Türkçe
- Oluklu kertenkele
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 上野動物園 — ヨーロッパヘビトカゲChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the European glass lizard
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
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