Mr. Green Jeans

Jake and I have just returned from 10 days in the Big Bend region of West Texas. This was Jake's first sojourn to the area and my first return in about 20 years. We had a great time and are already plotting next year's visit. We talked in some detail about locales and targets (both herps and birds) and had a fair idea of what we hoped to find.

Jake's list was simple. He wanted to see and photograph at least one of everything. We didn't even come close! My list of half a dozen herp and 2 bird species was a bit more specific. It was topped with the Chihuahuan lyre snake, Trimorphodon vilkinsonii, (on this we failed) and ended with a colorful male of the Southwestern earless lizard, Cophosaurus texanus scitulus, (on this we succeeded).

At a length that occasionally exceeds 7 inches, the Southwestern earless lizard is marginally the largest of the earless clan in the United States. When suitably warmed, it is also the most colorful. During the breeding season, the pinks, greens, blues and black of the dominant males must be seen to be truly appreciated.

Should you be traveling in southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, or western Texas, be sure to look them up. And have your camera ready. You'll certainly want a photo.

More photos below...

Southwestern earless lizards are often seen in rocky deserts. This dominant male Southwestern Earless Lizard has toes up for heat control.

Author, photographer, and columnist Richard Bartlett is one of the most prolific writers on herpetological subjects in the 20th century. With hundreds of books and articles to their credit, Richard and his wife Pat have spent over four decades documenting reptiles both in the field and in captivity. For a list of their current titles, please visit their page in our bookstore.