The Family Anniellidae consists of the legless lizards of the genus Anniella, commonly called California legless lizards. These reptiles are slender, smooth-scaled, and adapted for a burrowing lifestyle, often resembling snakes but distinguished by their eyelids and the ability to shed their tails. They inhabit loose, sandy or loamy soils in coastal California and northern Baja California, spending much of their time underground or beneath leaf litter. Anniellids feed mainly on small invertebrates such as insects and larvae. Although secretive and rarely seen, they play an important role in soil ecosystems and are of conservation concern due to habitat loss.