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Greater earless lizard (female)

Cophosaurus texanus

Description:

A medium-sized (up to 89 mm or 3.5" from snout to vent), gray or tan lizard with long, slender limbs and a flattened tail. The underside of the tail is marked with distinct black crossbands on a bright white background. The upper surfaces of the body are marked with tan, yellow, or peach spots surrounded by off-white or cream speckles. The groin, lower back, and forelimbs are often tinted yellow on males. The back of the thigh is marked with a dark horizontal line. There are two dark bars on each side of the belly that extend up onto the sides just in front of the hind limbs. On males these bars are surrounded by light blue patches on the belly. On females bars are faint or lacking. During breeding season females develop a pink throat patch and a peach or orange tint on the sides and flanks. The body scales are small and granular. As its common name implies, this lizard lacks external ear openings. This characteristic, coupled with the posterior position of its side bars distinguish the Greater Earless Lizard from the similar looking Zebra-tailed Lizard. (information from http://www.reptilesofaz.org/ )

Habitat:

Resort trail

Notes:

See my spotting of a male greater earless lizard here: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/195...

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Aaron_G
Spotted by
Aaron_G

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Spotted on Jul 31, 2013
Submitted on Mar 8, 2014

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