The lizard has been found in robust numbers across its native range.
The plateau spot-tailed earless lizard (Holbrookia lacerata), a species found on the Edwards Plateau in Central and West Texas, and thought to be vanishing, has been found in robust numbers across its native range.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service determined after a 12 month finding and review, that the lizard won’t be listed under the Endangered Species Act.
“We are excited to share the positive news that the Plateau spot-tailed earless lizard’s population is healthy and does not require protection under the ESA,” Jeff Fleming, the Service’s Acting Southwest Regional Director, said in a statement released on the USFWS website. “This outcome is a direct result of the dedicated efforts of researchers and conservation partners who have worked tirelessly to gather crucial data on this species. Their work has enabled the Service to make informed decisions about the lizard’s conservation status.”
The Texas Spot-Tailed Earless Lizard Next On Endangered Species List?
A petition was filed in 2010 to list the lizard and two of its subspecies. At the time there was very little research on its population status. The service requested scientific information to determine the lizard’s status, and with funding from the The Texas Comptroller’s Office and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, university researchers with the University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at Arlington, Texas A&M University–College Station, Texas A&M University – Kingsville, Texas Tech University, The Nature Conservancy and others,conducted species surveys and documented the “genetics, habitat needs and land use in the range of the lizard.” That data was used for a peer-reviewed Species Status Assessment.
That assessment determined that while there were challenges the species faced, multiple resilient populations of the plateau spot-tailed earless lizard were found across areas that are comparable to its native range. The findings also determined that threats due to habitat loss, modifications and road kills only affect a small population of these lizards.
“This is a prime example of how sound scientific research can guide effective conservation decisions,” said Michael Warriner, Supervisory Fish and Wildlife Biologist with the Austin Ecological Services Field Office. “Through rigorous research and monitoring conducted by universities in Texas, we gained a deeper understanding of this species and its population dynamics, ultimately finding that it is not in danger of extinction.”
The research also determined that the Plateau spot-tailed earless lizard and the Tamaulipan spot-tailed earless lizard are distinct species.
About the Plateau Spot-tailed Earless Lizard
The plateau spot-tailed earless lizard (Holbrookia lacerata) is known to persist in Texas and Oklahoma as well as Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas states in Mexico. It eats small invertebrates such as ants. It can be found in habitat with very little vegetation and bare ground, including prairies, meadows, sand dunes, woodland areas, chaparral and graded roads. They burrow in soil and fallen logs, and leaf litter. Invasive fire ants are a threat to this species, according to the USFWS.
