Unique Amphisbaenic Animals with Both Reptilian and Mammalian Characteristics

Amphisbaenic refers to a type of animal that has characteristics of both reptiles and mammals. The term comes from the Greek words "amphi" meaning "both" and "sbaena" meaning "shovel-like", referring to the animal's shovel-like snout.

Amphisbaenians are a group of burrowing animals that include the amphisbaenia, or worm lizards, which are found in Africa and South America. These animals have the ability to burrow underground like moles, but they also have some characteristics of reptiles, such as scaly skin and eggs laid outside of their bodies. They do not have mammary glands, however, and instead feed their young by secreting a milky substance from their skin.

The term "amphisbaenic" is sometimes used more broadly to refer to any animal that has both reptilian and mammalian characteristics, such as the platypus or echidna, which are egg-laying mammals that also have some reptilian features.