Dunes Sagebrush Lizard already protected under Texas law

Politics and reptiles make strange bedfellows, especially in an election year. Controversial Texas Land Commissioner and candidate for Lieutenant Governor, Jerry Patterson, has weighed in on the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard issue. From the Texas Insider:

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson today claimed victory in an initial battle after U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced federal bureaucrats will not list the dunes sagebrush lizard as an endangered species. “Texans stood up and were heard,” Patterson said. “The drive to list this lizard wasn’t based on science, but was in response to abusive lawsuits filed against the federal government by a radical environmental group — and Texans showed that we don’t get intimidated so easily.”

With all the controversy over the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, all the lawsuits, finger pointing, and blame, a little overlooked fact is that Texas had already extended protection to the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard some years ago. In fact, it, along with dozens of other reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, were extended protections not " based on science," to use Jerry Patterson's words, when they were included on Texas Parks and Wildlife's blacklist of non-game species. Implemented under Rick Perry's administration, the list prevents private industry from working with, commercializing or studying those species. Oddly, the same regulations include exclusions allowing exterminators to kill many of the species afforded protection by the blacklist, which is probably good since it includes 11 species of rats and 25 species of mice. To see all the species, like Cotton Rats, the Deer Mouse and the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, that Texas taxpayers are paying to protect, click below.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/faq/huntwild/black_list.phtml

Blacklist Species

Salamanders

Three-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma tridactylum)
Gulf Coast Waterdog (Necturus beyeri)
Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia)
Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)
Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum)
Mole Salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum)
Small-mouthed Salamander (Ambystoma texanum)
Southern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus auriculatus)
Salado Salamander (Eurycea chisholmensis)
Texas Salamander (Eurycea neotenes)
Dwarf Salamander (Eurycea quadridigitata)
Jollyville Plateau Salamander (Eurycea tonkawae)
Valdina Farms Salamander (Eurycea troglodytes)
Western Slimy Salamander (Plethodon albagula)
Southern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon serratus)
Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)

Frogs and Toads

American Toad (Bufo americanus)
Cane Toad (Bufo marinus)
Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans)
Canyon Treefrog (Hyla arenicolor)
Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
Squirrel Treefrog (Hyla squirella)
Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)
Spotted Chorus Frog (Pseudacris clarki)
Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
Southeastern Chorus Frog (Pseudacris feriarum)
Strecker’s Chorus Frog (Pseudacris streckeri)
Barking Frog (Eleutherodactylus augusti)
Rio Grande Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus cystignathoides)
Spotted Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus guttilatus)
Cliff Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus marnockii)
Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis)
Great Plains Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne olivacea)
Hurter’s Spadefoot (Scaphiopus hurterii)
Crawfish Frog (Rana areolata)
Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)
Plains Leopard Frog (Rana blairi)
Green Frog (Rana clamitans)
Pig Frog (Rana grylio)
Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris)
Southern Leopard Frog (Rana sphenocephala)

Turtles

Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia)
Mississippi Map Turtle (Graptemys kohni)
Ouachita Map Turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis)
Texas Map Turtle (Graptemys versa)
River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna)
Rio Grande Cooter (Pseudemys gorzugi)
Texas River Cooter (Pseudemys texana)
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata)
Big Bend Slider (Trachemys gaigeae)
Yellow Mud Turtle (Kinosternon flavescens)
Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)
Razor-backed Musk Turtle (Sternotherus carinatus)
Stinkpot (Sternotherus odoratus)

Lizards

Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus)
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia wislizenii)
Spot-tailed Earless Lizard (Holbrookia lacerata)
Keeled Earless Lizard (Holbrookia propinqua)
Round-tailed Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma modestum)
Dunes Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus)
Blue Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus cyanogenys)
Graphic Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus grammicus)
Desert Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus magister)
Canyon Lizard (Sceloporus merriami)
Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)
Rose-bellied Lizard (Sceloporus variabilis)
Coal Skink (Eumeces anthracinus)
Broad-headed Skink (Eumeces laticeps)
Many-lined Skink (Eumeces multivirgatus)
Prairie Skink (Eumeces septentrionalis)
Four-lined Skink (Eumeces tetragrammus)
Gray Checkered Whiptail (Aspidocelis dixoni)
Little Striped Whiptail (Aspidocelis inornata)
Laredo Striped Whiptail (Aspidocelis laredoensis)
New Mexico Whiptail (Aspidocelis neomexicana)
Mexican Plateau Spotted Whiptail (Aspidocelis septemvittata)
Desert Grassland Whiptail (Aspidocelis uniparens)

Snakes

New Mexico Blind Snake (Leptotyphlops dissectus)
Western Blind Snake (Leptotyphlops humilis)
Western Wormsnake (Carphophis vermis)
Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus)
Red-bellied Mudsnake (Farancia abacura)
Tamaulipan Hook-nosed Snake (Ficimia streckeri)
Chihuahuan Hooked-nosed Snake (Gyalopion canum)
Saltmarsh Snake (Nerodia clarki)
Mississippi Green Watersnake (Nerodia cyclopion )
Graham’s Crayfish Snake (Regina grahamii)
Glossy Crayfish Snake (Regina rigida)
Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)
Mexican Black-headed Snake (Tantilla atriceps)
Plains Gartersnake (Thamnophis radix)
Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
Smooth Earthsnake (Virginia valeriae)

Mammals

Southern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina carolinensis)
Elliot’s Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina hylophaga)
Least Shrew (Cryptotis parva)
Desert Shrew (Notiosorex crawfordi)
Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus)
Pallid Bat (Antrozous pallidus)
Mexican Long-tongued Bat (Choeronycteris mexicana)
Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
Western Mastiff Bat (Eumops perotis)
Silver-haired Bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans)
Western Red Bat (Lasiurus blossevillii)
Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis)
Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus)
Northern Yellow Bat (Lasiurus intermedius)
Seminole Bat (Lasiurus seminolus)
Ghost-faced Bat (Mormoops megalophylla)
Southeastern Myotis (Myotis austroriparius)
California Myotis (Myotis californicus)
Western Small-footed Myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum)
Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus)
Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis)
Fringed Myotis (Myotis thysanodes)
Cave Myotis (Myotis velifer)
Long-legged Myotis (Myotis volans)
Yuma Myotis (Myotis yumanensis)
Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis)
Pocketed Free-tailed Bat (Nyctinomops femorosacca)
Big Free-tailed Bat (Nyctinomops macrotis)
Western Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus hesperus)
Eastern Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus)
Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Plecotus townsendii)
Brazilian Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)
Mexican Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus mexicanus)
Gray-footed Chipmunk (Tamias canipes)
Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher (Cratogeomys castanops)
Desert Pocket Gopher (Geomys arenarius)
Attwater’s Pocket Gopher (Geomys attwateri)
Baird’s Pocket Gopher (Geomys breviceps)
Plains Pocket Gopher (Geomys bursarius)
Jones’ Pocket Gopher (Geomys knoxjonesi)
Texas Pocket Gopher (Geomys personatus)
Llano Pocket Gopher (Geomys texensis)
Botta’s Pocket Gopher (Thomomys bottae)
Northern Pygmy Mouse (Baiomys taylori)
Hispid Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus hispidus)
Rock Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus intermedius)
Nelson’s Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus nelsoni)
Desert Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus penicillatus)
Gulf Coast Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys compactus)
Ord’s Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys ordii)
Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys spectabilis)
Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse (Liomys irroratus)
Mexican Vole (Microtus mexicanus)
Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster)
Woodland Vole (Microtus pinetorum)
White-throated Woodrat (Neotoma albigula)
Eastern Woodrat (Neotoma floridana)
Golden Mouse (Ochrotomys nuttalli)
Mearns’ Grasshopper Mouse (Onychomys arenicola)
Northern Grasshopper Mouse (Onychomys leucogaster)
Marsh Rice Rat (Oryzomys palustris)
Plains Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavescens)
Silky Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavus)
Merriam’s Pocket Mouse (Perognathus merriami)
Texas Mouse (Peromyscus attwateri)
Brush Mouse (Peromyscus boylii)
Cactus Mouse (Peromyscus eremicus)
Cotton Mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus)
White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)
Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)
Northern Rock Mouse (Peromyscus nasutus)
White-ankled Mouse (Peromyscus pectoralis)
Piñon Mouse (Peromyscus truei)
Fulvous Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys fulvescens)
Eastern Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys humulis)
Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis)
Plains Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys montanus)
Mexican Woodrat (Neotoma mexicana)
Southern Plains Woodrat (Neotoma micropus)
Tawny-bellied Cotton Rat (Sigmodon fulviventer)
Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)
Yellow-nosed Cotton Rat (Sigmodon ochrognathus)
Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata)