This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American There have never been enough amphisbaenians ...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Since first appearing during the age of dinosaurs, snakes have authored an evolutionary success story - slithering into almost every habitat on Earth, from oceans to tree tops.

This ancient, leg-bearing snake is rewriting the story of how serpents slithered, and sometimes walked, their way through evolutionary history.

Some lizards have evolved to be resistant to the venom of snakes, entering into a sort of evolutionary arms race with their limbless cousins. A family of lizards known as varanids has evolved ...