Greater Earless Lizard
Cophosaurus texanus
- Class
- Reptile
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 7,567
- Most observed in
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
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, 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 scales.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Greater earless lizard”.