title: Visceral anatomy of the Amphisbaenia.
abstract: Study of the visceral anatomy of 41 specimens of amphisbaenians representing 13 genera shows that they share a very distinct structure which differs from that found in either snakes or typical lizards. The left lung is large while the right is rudimentary or absent (unique); the kidneys are freely suspended in the coelom by a mesentery (unique); the spleen is usually  embedded in the anterior end of the pancreas (as in snakes); the gall bladder lies in a notch in the liver, and the kidneys lie opposite each other (as in lizards). The distinctness of this pattern supports the recognition of the Amphisbaenia as a separate suborder of the Squamata.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004064:Digestive System / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005216:Fat Body / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008168:Lung / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D008643:Mesentery / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010179:Pancreas / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012104:Reptiles / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology