You ever play those in-group, out-group games as a kid? You know, Sesame Street. One of these things is not like the other. Those sheets of paper that used to hand out in class when you were a child, where you'd get a bunch of trees and plants, and then there'd be a random picture of a chair or something, and you were meant to cross that one out. Or there'd be

a bunch of different sized red balloons, and one of the balloons would be blue, and you'd have to

cross out the blue one or something. You remember. Child's play, right? Biologists have been playing

that game for centuries, but the rules have changed, dramatically. You see, scientists used to look at animals

and play Spot the Difference based on appearance. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck,

it probably has a recent common ancestor with ducks. But today it's all about genes. Scientists are

playing Spot the Dif difference with test tubes

and microscopes and the fossil record. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it may be an

interesting example of convergent evolution. Today I'm going to talk about an animal that

looks like a snake and slithers like a snake, but isn't a snake. A strange beast from the steps of Europe, the Shelterpusic.

Sudipus adipus.

I'm Mackin. This is species.

Hey, welcome to the show.

Today I'm going to teach you how to tell apart snakes and lizards. Here's a hint. It has nothing to do with legs. Seriously. Subscribe wherever you can. Send the show to someone who likes animals. Find the show on Facebook and on Twitter, both at Species Podcast. Find me personally on

Twitter at Mac and Murphy. Send me a tweet anytime. And five-star reviews from iTunes and Facebook

are read aloud on the show, every show at the end of the show. It takes like four seconds

to leave one, but it really helps. And you get to hear me read your voice on the show.

So there's that.

Thank you, Eric and the animals for playing me in.

And now, without further ado, I present to you the Shelta Pusik.

If I told you to define snake, in two words, you would probably say legless lizard.

And I think that would be a great attempt, but there's just one problem.

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