The greater earless lizard (''Cophosaurus texanus'') is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Cophosaurus''. It is closely related to the smaller, lesser earless lizards and other species in the genus ''

Holbrookia ''Holbrookia'' is a genus of earless lizards, known commonly as the lesser earless lizards, in the Family (biology), family Phrynosomatidae. The genus contains six recognized species, which are found throughout the Southwestern United States, ...

'', and in fact was placed in that genus and referred to ''Holbrookia texana'' from 1852 into the 1970s. Earless lizards lack external ear openings, an adaptation to burrowing in the sand, as are the recessed lower jaw and flared upper

labial scale The labial scales are the scales of snakes and other scaled reptiles that border the mouth opening. These do not include the median scales on the upper and lower jawsWright AH, Wright AA. 1957. Handbook of Snakes. Comstock Publishing Associates (7 ...

s. Greater earless lizards are

sexually dimorphic Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...

, males grow larger and are more colorful than females, exhibiting pink and green colors that are particularly bright in the breeding season. Two bold black bars mark the lateral region of males but are greatly reduced and vague, or occasionally entirely absent in females. The greater earless lizard is native to the Chihuahua Desert and other arid and semi-arid regions of

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...

and

northern Mexico Northern Mexico ( ), commonly referred as , is an informal term for the northern cultural and geographical area in Mexico. Depending on the source, it contains some or all of the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua (state), ...

, where they most often occupy moderately open areas of sparse vegetation with rocks, gravel, and sand. The overall color of individual lizards frequently match the colors of the rocks and soils of the local area they inhabit. They will often rely on

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

and their speed to elude threats and predators before retreating into rock crevices. They are primarily

insectivore file:Common brown robberfly with prey.jpg, A Asilidae, robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivore, carnivorous animal or plant which eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the Entomophagy ...

s, preying on wide variety of crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, flies, beetles, and bugs. Spiders and small lizards are occasionally eaten as well. ''Cophosaurus'' are

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that reproduce by depositing fertilized zygotes outside the body (i.e., by laying or spawning) in metabolically independent incubation organs known as eggs, which nurture the embryo into moving offsprings kno ...

. Females lay 1 to 4 clutches of 2 – 9 eggs a year, with hatchlings emerging from June to October, and reaching adult size and sexual maturity in one year.

Etymology

The generic name ''Cophosaurus'' is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

words ''copho'' (κουφός), meaning "deaf", and ''saurus'', meaning "lizard", in reference to the animal's absent external ear openings. The

trivial name In chemistry, a trivial name is a non-systematic name for a chemical substance. That is, the name is not recognized according to the rules of any formal system of chemical nomenclature such as IUPAC inorganic or IUPAC organic nomenclature. A ...

, or

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

''texanus'', is a

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''wikt:toponym, toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage, and types. ''Toponym'' is the general term for ...

in reference to the state of

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, the original location where the specimens used in the lizard's description were collected.Lemos Espinal, Julio A., Hobart M. Smith,

James R. Dixon James Ray Dixon (August 1, 1928, in Houston, Texas – January 10, 2015, in Bryan, Texas) was professor emeritus and curator emeritus of amphibians and reptiles at the Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection at Texas A&M University. He lived in El C ...

, and Alexander Cruz. 2015. ''Amphibians and Reptiles of Sonora, Chihuahua, and Coahuila, Mexico, Vol. I & II''. CONABIO, Mexico D. F. 668 pp. (Vol. II pages 202-203 & 595) The subspecific names are both

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, ''reticulatus'', meaning "reticulated" or a "net-like" pattern, Lewis, Charlton Thomas 1879. ''A Latin Dictionary: Founded on Andrew's Edition of Freund's Latin Dictionary, revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by Charlton Thomas Lewis, Ph. D.'' Oxford University Press. Oxford. xiv, 2019 pp. 1993 edition and ''scitulus'', meaning "handsome" or "pretty".

Taxonomy

Within the family

Phrynosomatidae The Phrynosomatidae are a diverse family of lizards, sometimes classified as a subfamily (Phrynosomatinae), found from Panama to the extreme south of Canada. Many members of the group are adapted to life in hot, sandy deserts, although the spiny ...

, ''Cophosaurus'' is most closely related to the zebra-tailed ('' Callisaurus''), lesser earless (''

'') and fringe-toed lizards (''

Uma Uma may refer to: Religion * Uma (goddess), a Hindu goddess also known as Parvati or Gauri People * Uma (given name), including a list of people with the name * Uma (actress) (Uma Shankari, fl from 2000), Indian actress Nature * ''Uma'' (liza ...

''), collectively forming the

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

Callisaurini, commonly referred to as the sand lizards.de Queiroz, Kevin. 1992.
Phylogenetic relationships and rates of allozyme evolution among the lineages of sceloporine sand lizards
'. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 45: 333-362.Uetz, Peter, Paul Freed, R. Aguilar, and J. Hošek (editors). 2022. The Reptile Database, http://www.reptile-database.org
Cophosaurus texanus TROSCHEL, 1852
(accessed June 5, 2022) The genus ''Cophosaurus'' is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

, as ''Cophosaurus texanus'' is the only species within the genus.

Franz Hermann Troschel Franz Hermann Troschel (10 October 1810 – 6 November 1882) was a German zoologist born in Spandau. He studied mathematics and natural history at the University of Berlin, where he was awarded his doctorate in 1834.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; G ...

described ''Cophosaurus'' (as well as the species ''C. texanus'') in a paper dated to 1850 (but not published until 1852). Later, that same year, the species was transferred to the genus ''

'' in a review by

Spencer Fullerton Baird Spencer Fullerton Baird (; February 3, 1823 – August 19, 1887) was an American naturalist, ornithologist, ichthyologist, Herpetology, herpetologist, and museum curator. Baird was the first curator to be named at the Smithsonian Institution. He ...

and

Charles Frédéric Girard Charles Frédéric Girard (; 8 March 1822 – 29 January 1895) was a French biologist specializing in ichthyology and herpetology. Biography Girard was born on 8 March 1822 in Mulhouse, France. He studied at the College of Neuchâtel, Switzerl ...

, and subsequent literature used the name ''H. texana'' for well-over a century.Baird, Spencer F. and Charles F. Girard. 1852.
Characteristics of some new reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, part 2
'' Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 6: 125-129. (page 125) Troschel's description was based on two specimens, cotypes or

syntype In biological nomenclature, a syntype is any one of two or more biological types that is listed in a description of a taxon where no holotype was designated. Precise definitions of this and related terms for types have been established as part o ...

s, both lost in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In 1951, James A. Peters published a review of the species, recognizing three subspecies and designating a

neotype In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally associated. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes ...

for ''C. t. texanus'', although still placing them in the genus ''Holbrookia''.Peters, James A. 1951.
Studies on the lizard Holbrookia texana (Troschel) with descriptions of two new subspecies
'. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology University of Michigan, (537): 1-20. In a 1958 Ph.D. dissertation reviewing the genus ''Holbrookia'',

herpetologist Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (in ...

Ralph W. Axtell omitted ''H. texana'' with little comment,Axtell, Ralph W.1958. ''A monographic revision of the iguanid genus Holbrookia.'' Ph. D. dissertation. Univ. Texas, viii + 222 pp. something which was noted by Robert F. Clarke in his 1965 Ph.D. dissertation (subsequently placing the species back in the original genus, ''Cophosaurus'').Clarke, Robert F. 1965.
An ethological study of the iguanid lizard genera Callisaurus, Cophosaurus, and Holbrookia
'' The University of Oklahoma, Ph.D. Dissertation,. Emporia Slate Research Studies, 13: 1-66. (page 5) Both combinations, ''C. texanus'' and ''H. texana'', were used by various authors during the 1970s, although, despite arguments for the placement of the species in ''Holbrookia'',Guttman, Sheldon. I. 1970. ''An electrophoretic study of the hemoglobins of the sand lizards, Callisaurus, Cophosaurus, Holbrookia, and Uma.'' Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 34(3): 569-574.Cox, Douglas C. & Wilmer W. Tanner. 1977.
Osteology and Myology of the Head and Neck Regions of Callisaurus, Cophosaurus, Holbrookia, and Uma (Reptilia: Iguanidae)
'' Great Basin Naturalist 37(1): 35-56. ''Cophosaurus'' was in predominant use by the 1980s; later

allozymes Alloenzymes (or also called allozymes) are variant forms of an enzyme which differ structurally but not functionally from other allozymes coded for by different alleles at the same Locus (genetics), locus. These are opposed to isozymes, which are ...

analyses supported the recognition of the genus. Three subspecies are currently recognized (2022), with standardized English names.Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
Checklist of the Standard English Names of Amphibians & Reptiles
(accessed June 3, 2022) * Texas greater earless lizard,Liner, Ernest A. and Gustavo Casas-Andreu. 2008. ''Standard Spanish, English and scientific names of the amphibians and reptiles of Mexico.'' Society for the Study Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular 38: i-iv, 1-162. (page 57) Crother, Brian I. (ed.). 2017.
'Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding.
' SSAR Herpetological Circular 43, 1–102 pp. ee page 43-44 ''Cophosaurus texanus texanus'', Troschel 1852

850 __NOTOC__ Year 850 ( DCCCL) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * February 1 – King Ramiro I dies in his palace at Santa María del Naranco (near Oviedo), after an 8-year reign ...

ref name="Troschel (1852)">Troschel, Franz H. 1852. ''Cophosaurus texanus, neue Eidechsengattung aus Texas''. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 16 (1): 388-394

* Sonoran greater earless lizard, ''Cophosaurus texanus reticulatus'', (Peters 1951) * Chihuahuan greater earless lizard, ''Cophosaurus texanus scitulus'', (Peters 1951)

Description

The greater earless lizard is a medium-sized lizard (relative to other species in its range) and the largest of the

earless lizard Earless lizards are two genera of small lizards native to the semiarid and grassland habitats of the Southwestern United States and Mexico. The genus '' Cophosaurus'' and the genus '' Holbrookia'' are both characterized by having no external ear ...

s. A range of sizes have been reported by various authors: Texas greater earless lizard (''C. t. texanus''), males , females ; Chihuahuan greater earless lizard (''C. t. scitulus''), males , females in total lengths are representative of the species.Conant, Roger and Joseph T. Collins. 1998. ''A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians: Eastern and Central North America.'' Houghton Mifflin Company. New York, N. Y. xviii, 616 pp. (pages 222–223) Greater earless lizards do not have external ear openings. The scales on the body are small and granular, with the dorsal scales slightly smaller than the ventral scales. Their legs, particularly the hind legs, are relatively long. The tail is slightly flattened and longer than head and body combined. The underside of the tail is white with 5 to 9 (usually 6 or 7) bold, contrasting black bands (excluding individuals with regenerated tails). The base color can be various shades of grays, browns, tans, or reddish brown and generally close to the prevailing colors of the local substrate. ''Cophosaurus texanus'' is a

species, in addition to size differences, males and females differ in some aspects of colors and markings. Most noticeable in males are a pair of black bands located on the posterior third on the sides of the body, rising from two blue patches on the margins of the belly up sides and arching forward and ending before meeting on the back. The body anterior to the black bands is suffused with some shade of pink, orange, or red, and the body posterior to the black bands tented green, aqua-green, or lime-green. The colors are most prominent in the Chihuahuan greater earless lizard (''C. t. scitulus'') and are greatly enhanced and most noticeable in the breeding season in all subspecies. In parts of their range they are colloquially referred to as "the lizard with the pink shirt and green pants." In contrast, females either lack the black lateral bands entirely or they are very faint and indistinct. Females and young often exhibit a lateral white or near white stripe running between the forelimbs and hind limbs and on the back of the legs.Howland, Jeffrey M. 2009. ''Greater Earless Lizard Cophosaurus texanus, Troschel, 1852.'' pages 146-149 IN Lawrence L. C. Jones and Robert E. Lovich (editors). ''Lizards of the American Southwest, A Photographic Field Guide.'' Rio Nuevo Publishers. Tucson, Arizona. 567 pp. Stebbins, Robert C. and Samuel M. McGinnis. 2018. Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, 4th ed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publidhing Co. New York, N.Y. xi, 560 pp. (pages 276-277) The subspecies were diagnosed in the original description with the following characters. ''Cophosaurus t. texana'': typically, 80–86%, have 79 ventral scales or less from collar (last

gular fold A gular fold is a feature of the body of lizards and many other reptiles. It is a granular fold found on the ventral throat In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the front part of the neck, internally positioned in front of the vertebrae. It con ...

) to anus, 40 or more scales in head length, and 27 or less total

femoral pore Femoral may refer to: *Having to do with the femur *Femoral artery * Femoral intercourse *Femoral nerve * Femoral triangle *Femoral vein In the human body, the femoral vein is the vein that accompanies the femoral artery in the femoral sheat ...

s. ''Cophosaurus t. scitula'': 80–84% have 80 or more ventral scales, 39 or less head scales, 28 or more femoral pores. ''Cophosaurus t. reticulata'': 85–100% have 82 ventral scales, 36 or less head scales, less than 31 femoral pores, and the black lateral bars are faint and do not extend above the lateral fold in males.

Distribution

The greater earless lizard occurs in the

southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...

(

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

, and

) and

( Chihuahua,

Coahuila Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza, is one of the 31 states of Mexico. The largest city and State Capital is the city of Saltillo; the second largest is Torreón and the thi ...

Durango Durango, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Durango, is one of the 31 states which make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in the northwest portion of the country. With a population of 1,832,650 ...

Nuevo León Nuevo León, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León, is a Administrative divisions of Mexico, state in northeastern Mexico. The state borders the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí, San Luis ...

San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí, is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 59 municipalities and is named after its capital city, San Luis Potosí. It ...

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

Tamaulipas Tamaulipas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas, is a state in Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 43 municipalities. It is located in nor ...

, and

Zacatecas Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...

). Elevations ranging from 127 to 2100 meters have been reported.Farr, William L., David Lazcano, and Paablo A. Lavin-Murcio. 2013. ''New Distributional Records for Amphibians and Reptiles from the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico III''. Herpetological Review 44(4): 631-645. (pages 634-635) Thomason, Libby. 2018.
Cophosaurus texanus, Greater Earless Lizard.
' Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology. (accessed 22 June 2022) The Texas greater earless lizard (''C. t. texanus'') occurs on the

Edwards Plateau The Edwards Plateau is a geographic region forming the crossroads of Central, South and West Texas, United States. It is named in honor of Haden Edwards. It is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east; the Llano Uplift and the Lla ...

Central Texas Central Texas is a region in the U.S. state of Texas roughly bordered on the west by San Saba, to the southeast by Bryan- College Station, the south by San Marcos and to the north by Hillsboro. Central Texas overlaps with and includes part ...

and northward to the state border with

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

and southeastern areas of the Texas panhandle.Axtell, Ralph W. 1991. ''Interpretive Atlas of Texas Lizards, No. 10, Cophosaurus texanus''. Published by Ralph W. Axtell, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Edwardsville, Illinois. 1-41 pp. It ranges southward into the

Tamaulipan mezquital The Tamaulipan mezquital (), also known as the Brush Country, is a deserts and xeric shrublands ecoregion in the Southern United States and northeastern Mexico. It covers an area of , encompassing a portion of the Gulf Coastal Plain in southern T ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

, and along the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

into northeast Coahuila and north-central Nuevo León, Mexico.Lemos Espinal, Julio A., Geoffrey R. Smith, and Alexander Cruz. 2018. ''Amphibians and Reptiles of Nuevo León''. Eco Herpetological Publishing and Distribution. Rodeo, New Mexico. x, 370 pp. (pages 93-94 & 339) In south-central Tamaulipas, its occurrence becomes increasingly spotty and localized, with records just across the southern state line in eastern San Luis Potosí. Martin, Paul S. 1958. ''A Biogeography of Reptiles and Amphibians in the Gomez Farias Region, Tamaulipas, Mexico''. Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology University of Michigan, 101: 1-102. (page 58)Lemos Espinal, Julio A. and James R. Dixon. 2013. ''Amphibians and Reptiles of San Luis Potosí.'' Eagle Mountain Publishing, LC. Eagle Mountain, Utah. i-xii, 1-300 pp. (pages 117-118, & 287) Several accounts have commented on the problematic and poorly-defined zone of integration between the subspecies ''C. t. texanus'' and ''C. t. scitulu''.Degenhardt, William G., Charles W. Painter, and Andrew H. Price. 1996. ''Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico''. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, New Mexico. xix, 431 pp. (pages 141-144) The Chihuahuan greater earless lizard (''C. t. scitulus'') occurs throughout much of the Chihuahuan Desert, including much of the

Trans-Pecos The Trans-Pecos, as originally defined in 1887 by the Texas geologist Robert T. Hill, is the distinct portion of Texas that lies west of the Pecos River. The term is considered synonymous with Far West Texas, a subdivision of West Texas. The Tran ...

region of

West Texas West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the desert climate, arid and semiarid climate, semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Texas, Wichita Falls, Abilene, Texa ...

, the southern third of New Mexico (following the Pecos and Rio Grande river basins northward), and southeastern Arizona (east of the

Sonora Desert The Sonoran Desert () is a hot desert and ecoregion in North America that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the Southwestern United States (in Arizona and California). It ...

), following a zone of semi-arid habitats around the northeastern margins of the Sonoran Desert almost to the

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

border.Brennan, Thomas C. and Andrew T. Holycross. 2006. ''A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles in Arizona''. Arizona Game and Fish Department. Phoenix, Arizona. v, 150 pp. (page 62) In Mexico, it ranges into northeastern Chihuahua, much of Coahuila, northeastern Durango, extreme northeastern Zacatecas, extreme southern Nuevo León, northern San Luis Potosí, and extreme southwestern Tamaulipas. It is absent from higher elevations in the

Sierra Madre Oriental The Sierra Madre Oriental () is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico. The Sierra Madre Oriental is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that ...

, however it does range deeper into the canyons and valleys on both the eastern and western versants of the mountain range.Lemos Espinal, Julio A., Geoffrey R. Smith, and Rosaura Valdez Laresz. 2019. ''Amphibians and Reptiles of Durango, Mexico''. Eco Herpetological Publishing and Distribution. Rodeo, New Mexico. xii, 416 pp. (pages 115-116 & 391) The Sonoran greater earless lizard (''C. t. reticulatus'') is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to northeastern Sonora, Mexico, between 470 – 1300 meters, where, as recently as 2016, it was reportedly known from only eight localities.Rorabaugh, J. C. and Julio Lemos-Espinal. 2016. ''A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Sonora, Mexico''. ECO Herpetological Publishing and Distribution. Rodeo, New Mexico. 688 pp. (pages 298-300)

Ecology and natural history

Reproduction

The longevity of the greater earless lizard is typically 3 years, but records of individuals surviving five reproductive seasons in the wild have been documented. Both males and females reach adult size in a year, attaining maturity and mating before their second winter. Mating occurs from April to August, peaking between late April and early July. Gravid females often exhibit pink, orange or yellow colors on their throats and sides. In one study, gravid females were only found in May and June. Multiple clutches, up to four a year, are scattered over a wide area, with clutch size ranging from 2 to 9 eggs (average 3-5); more mature females produce larger clutches than younger females. One study reported finding single eggs buried in the sand on three occasions, but never locating a clutch.Johnson, Clifford 1960. ''Reproductive cycle in females of the greater earless lizard, Holbrookia texana.'' Copeia, 1960(4): 297-300. The incubation period is about 50 days. The hatchlings emerge from June to October, with reports of sizes varying from 20 to 25 mm. to 26–31 mm.

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the mos ...

.Ballinger, Royce E., Earl D. Tyler, and Donald W. Tinkle. 1972. ''Reproductive ecology of a west Texas population of the greater earless lizard, Cophosaurus texanus.'' The American Midland Naturalist, 88(2): 419-428.Schrank, Gordon D., and Royce E. Ballinger. 1973. ''Male reproductive cycles in two species of lizards (Cophosaurus texanus and Cnemidophorus gularis).'' Herpetologica, 29(3): 289-293.Smith, Donald D., Philip A. Medica, and Sherburn R. Sanborn. 1987.
Ecological comparison of sympatric populations of sand lizards (Cophosaurus texanus and Callisaurus draconoides).
' Great Basin Naturalist, 47(2): 175-185.Sugg, Derrick W., Lee A. Fitzgerald, and Howard L. Snell. 1995. ''Growth rate, timing of reproduction, and size dimorphism in the southwestern earless lizard (Cophosaurus texanus scitulus).'' The Southwestern Naturalist, 40(2): 193-202.

Diet

The greater earless lizard is predominantly an

and a generalist. A study in

Mohave County, Arizona Mohave County occupies the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 List of counties in Arizona, counties in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 213,267. The county seat is Kingman ...

found insects comprised 85% of the diet, including 18.2%

Orthoptera Orthoptera () is an order of insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets, including closely related insects, such as the bush crickets or katydids and wētā. The order is subdivided into two suborders: Caelifera – gras ...

(crickets, grasshoppers, locusts), 15.8%

Hymenoptera Hymenoptera is a large order of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are parasitic. Females typi ...

(ants, bees, sawflies, wasps), and 10.1%

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

(butterflies and moths), 9.2%

Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advance ...

(flies), 9.2%

Coleoptera Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

(beetles), and 8.4%

Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising more than 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from ...

(true bugs). Spiders made up 7.9% of the diet and ''Cophosaurus'' were found to occasionally feed on small lizards, particularly ornate tree lizards (''

Urosaurus ornatus ''Urosaurus ornatus'', Common name, commonly known as the ornate tree lizard, is a species of lizard in the Family (biology), family Phrynosomatidae. The species is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The species, w ...

''), in the late summer and early spring when hatchling emerged and were abundant. Another study conducted in the

Mapimí Biosphere Reserve The Mapimí Biosphere Reserve () (established 1977) is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located in the state of Durango in northern Mexico. It is one of three biosphere reserves representing the Chihuahuan Desert (along with Big Bend Biosphere Reserve ...

, Mexico, found the most frequent prey items were spiders, Hymenoptera, Lepidopteran (caterpillars) adult and nymph Orthoptera, beetles, and true bugs.Maury, Ma Eugenia. 1995. ''Diet Composition of the Greater Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus) in central Chihuahuan Desert.'' Journal of Herpetology, 29(2): 266-272. Less frequent prey identified in these studies included

Neuroptera The insect order (biology), order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera is grouped together with the Megaloptera (alderflies, f ...

(lacewings, mantidflies, antlions),

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as eac ...

pseudoscorpion Pseudoscorpions, also known as false scorpions or book scorpions, are small, scorpion-like arachnids belonging to the order Pseudoscorpiones, also known as Pseudoscorpionida or Chelonethida. Pseudoscorpions are generally beneficial to humans bec ...

termite Termites are a group of detritivore, detritophagous Eusociality, eusocial cockroaches which consume a variety of Detritus, decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, Plant litter, leaf litter, and Humus, soil humus. They are dist ...

Homoptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising more than 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from to ...

, adult Lepidoptera, and

Odonata Odonata is an order of predatory flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies (as well as the '' Epiophlebia'' damsel-dragonflies). The two major groups are distinguished with dragonflies (Anisoptera) usually being bulkier with ...

(dragonflies, damselflies) The Arizona study found that plants made up 5.5% of the diet, while the Durango study found only two cases of plant ingestion and interpret them as accidental intake. The most common, or highest percentage of prey items (e.g. Hymenoptera, caterpillars, etc.) in the diet were found to change annually in the Durango study. ''Cophosaurus'' use a sit-and-wait foraging strategy, often situating themselves on a high vantage point such as a rock, bolder, or fallen limb, in a relatively open space and dashing out to take passing insects. They have been observed leaping into the air or at low-hanging vegetation to catch their prey. In one study, months with rain were significantly correlated with an increase of

arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

s in the environment and in the dietary intake of the lizards. There was not a significant deference in the diet of males and females. Competition for food between adults and juveniles, as well as other species of

sympatric In biology, two closely related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter each other. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct spe ...

lizards is at least partially alleviated by

resource partitioning In ecology, a niche is the match of a species to a specific environmental condition. Three variants of ecological niche are described by It describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of resources and competitors (for e ...

, determined by differences in body size and jaw length.Hardy, S., W. Lutterschmidt, M. Fuller, P. Gier, R. Durtsche, R. Bradley, K. Meier. 1997. ''Ontogenetic variation in the autecology of the greater earless lizard, Cophosaurus texanus.'' Ecography, 20(4): 336-346.

Habitat

The greater earless lizard native to the arid environment of the Chihuahua Desert, extending into western areas of the

, and the northeastern margins of the Meseta Central matorral, as well as the semi-arid

and Central Great Plains in Texas, and the

Arizona transition zone The Arizona transition zone is a diagonal northwest-by-southeast region across central Arizona. The region is a transition from the higher-elevation Colorado Plateau in Northeast Arizona and the Basin and Range region of lower-elevation desert ...

(between the

Sonoran Desert The Sonoran Desert () is a hot desert and ecoregion in North America that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the Southwestern United States (in Arizona and California). It ...

and

Arizona Mountains forests The Arizona Mountains forests are a temperate coniferous forests ecoregion of the southwest United States with a rich variety of woodland habitats and wildlife. Setting This is a landscape of steep mountains and high stony plateaus with rocky ou ...

) in the west. Within these ecoregions it typically occupies open scrubland and areas of sparse vegetation, with rocks and boulder. Limestone ledges and outcrops near streams with boulders and crevices, and dry gulches, arroyos, and canyons with

alluvium Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...

deposits of silt, sand, gravel, and rocks are often preferred, but it is not strictly limited to these areas.Cagle, Fred R. 1950. ''Notes on Holbrookia texana in Texas.'' Copeia. 1950(3): 230. Gentle to moderate slopes of

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

and gravel and hills of granite and

igneous rock Igneous rock ( ), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. The magma can be derived from partial ...

are also habitat for the lizard.Axtell, Ralph W. 1959. ''Amphibians and Reptiles of the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area, Brewster County, Texas.'' The Southwestern Naturalist 4(2): 88–109. Plants identified in association with greater earless lizards include honey mesquite (''

Prosopis glandulosa ''Neltuma glandulosa'', formerly ''Prosopis glandulosa'', commonly known as honey mesquite, is a species of small to medium-sized, thorny shrub or tree in the legume family (Fabaceae). Distribution The plant is primarily native to the Southwes ...

''), creosote bush (''

Larrea tridentata ''Larrea tridentata'', called creosote bush, greasewood, and chaparral is a medicinal herb. In Sonora, it is more commonly called ''hediondilla''; Spanish ''hediondo'' = "smelly". It is a flowering plant in the family Zygophyllaceae. The specific ...

''), ocotillo (''

Fouquieria splendens ''Fouquieria splendens'', commonly known as ocotillo, is a plant indigenous to the Mojave Desert, Mojave, Sonoran Desert, Sonoran, Chihuahuan Desert, Chihuahuan and Colorado Desert, Colorado deserts in the Southwestern United States (southern C ...

''), sotol (''

Dasylirion ''Dasylirion'' is a genus of succulent, rosette-forming plants in the Asparagaceae family (where it is included in the Nolinoideae subfamily). Most species are native to mountainous arid regions of Mexico, with some species also native to the Sou ...

''), lechuguilla ('' Agave lecheguilla''), prickly pear cactus (''

Opuntia ''Opuntia'', commonly called the prickly pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae, many known for their flavorful fruit and showy flowers. Cacti are native to the Americas, and are well adapted to arid clima ...

''), leatherstem (''

Jatropha dioica ''Jatropha dioica'' is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, that is native to an area from Texas in the United States to as far south as Oaxaca in Mexico. Common names include leatherstem and sangre de drago. The spe ...

''), and candelilla (''

Euphorbia antisyphilitica ''Euphorbia antisyphilitica'' is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. It is native to the Trans-Pecos of Texas and southern New Mexico in the United States as well as Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua, Coahuila, Hidalgo (st ...

''). The color of an individual lizard often bears a striking correlation to the prevailing colors of the rocks and substrates where it lives: ''e.g.'' specimens from

Llano County, Texas Llano County () is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 21,243. Its county seat is Llano, and the county is named for the Llano River. History The Tonkawa tribe were ...

have been noted for their rusty brown color similar to the red granite characteristic of much of the

Llano Uplift The Llano Uplift is a geologically ancient, low geologic dome that is about in diameter and located mostly in Llano, Mason, San Saba, Gillespie, and Blanco counties, Texas. It consists of an island-like exposure of Precambrian igneous and ...

. ''Cophosaurus'' can be locally abundant and among the most common species of

herpetofauna Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (incl ...

in some areas, and yet absent from seemingly appropriate habitat other areas.

Behavior

Greater earless lizards are diurnal, with most populations exhibiting a bimodal daily activity pattern, peeking late in the morning, followed by a period of reduced activity in the afternoon heat, and a second activity period in the late afternoon. They have a high optimum temperature range, typical active body is .Bashey, Farrah and Arthur E. Dunham. 1997. ''Elevational Variation in the Thermal Constraints on and Microhabitat Preferences of the Greater Earless Lizard, Cophosaurus texanus''. Copeia, 1997(4): 725-737 At night, ''Cophosaurus'' will often burrow in loose sand as deep as 15.3 cm. (6 in.) or in areas without sand, they may partially bury in loose gravel or shale, or sleep on the surface.Vermersch, Thomas G. 1992. ''Lizards and Turtles of South-Central Texas.'' Eakin Press. Austin, Texas. xiv, 170 pp. (pages 27–30) Females have been found communally buried under shale on cold winter days.Ramsey, L. W. 1948. ''Hibernation of Holbrookia texana.'' Herpetologica, 4 (6): 223.Ramsey, L. W. 1949. ''Hibernation, and the Effect of a Flood on Holbrookia texana.'' Herpetologica, 5(6): 125-126. They are predominantly ground-dwelling lizards that often seek a high perch, such as a protruding rock, to survey their area for passing prey and approaching predators. They are reluctant to retreat into crevices or borrows to evade predators, but instead will run from one rock to another with great speed, or rapidly dash a few yards only to make an abrupt stop and then freeze, at which point their remarkable camouflage seems to make them disappear.Garrett, Judith M. and David G. Barker. 1987. ''A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Texas.'' Texas Monthly Press. Austin, Texas. xi, 225 pp. (pages 137–139) Cophosaurus are known to engage in

bipedal Bipedalism is a form of terrestrial locomotion where an animal moves by means of its two rear (or lower) limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a bipedal manner is known as a biped , meaning 'two feet' (from Latin ''bis'' ...

locomotion (running on two feet) during short burst of speed. Males, females, and even hatchlings only five minutes old exhibit territorial displays including head bobbing, pushups, lateral body compression. Another conspicuous behavior is the habit of lifting its tail and curling it over its back while running and waving the striking black and white banded tail in the air, diverting attention away from the head and body to the relatively expendable tail. The practice of curling the tail over the body while of running also serves a functional purpose as a counter-balance, shifting the center of gravity closer to the force exerted by the lizard's rear legs. A 32% decrease in running speed was reported for lizards that had lost their tails.Punzo, Fred. 1982. Tail Autonomy and Running Speed in the Lizards Cophosaurus texanus and Uma notata. Journal of Herpetology, 16(3): 329-331.

Gallery

File:Earless lizard (cropped).jpg, Chihuahuan greater earless lizard (''Cophosaurus t. scitulus''), male, (20 May 2015) File:1. Cophosaurus t. texanus, male, Llano Co. Texas (2022).jpg, Texas greater earless lizard (''Cophosaurus t. texanus''), male,

(26 April 2022) File:2. Cophosaurus t. texanus, female, Llano Co. Texas (2022).jpg, Texas greater earless lizard (''Cophosaurus t. texanus''), female, Llano County, Texas (26 April 2022) File:Cophosaurus texanus - Flickr - aspidoscelis (3) (cropped).jpg, Chihuahuan greater earless lizard (''Cophosaurus t. scitulus''), male,

Doña Ana County, New Mexico Doña Ana County () is a county located in the southern part of the New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 219,561, which makes it the second-most populated county in New Mexico. Its county seat is Las Cruce ...

, (30 April 2015) File:Cophosaurus texanus - Flickr - aspidoscelis (9) (cropped).jpg, Chihuahuan greater earless lizard (''Cophosaurus t. scitulus''), female, Doña Ana County, New Mexico, (14 September 2013)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greater Earless Lizard Phrynosomatidae Reptiles of the United States Reptiles of Mexico Reptiles described in 1852 Fauna of the Chihuahuan Desert