Weigeltisauridae is a family of gliding neodiapsid reptiles that lived during the Permian period. Fossils of weigeltisaurids have been found in Madagascar, Germany, Great Britain, and Russia. Possible weigeltisaurid fossils have been found in Triassic strata in North America. They are characterized by long rod-shaped bones extending from the torso that most likely supported wing-like membranes. Similar membranes are also found in several other extinct reptiles such as kuehneosaurids and Mecistotrachelos, as well as living gliding lizards, although each group evolved these structures independently. The gliding membranes in these other groups differ from those of weigeltisaurids in that they are formed by elongated ribs rather than distinct rod-like bones. Weigeltisaurids are also characteri