The dunes sagebrush lizard (''Sceloporus arenicolus''), formerly known as the sand dune lizard and the dunes-sagebrush lizard, ''

Sceloporus graciosus The sagebrush lizard or sagebrush swift (''Sceloporus graciosus'') is a common species of Phrynosomatidae, phrynosomatid lizard found at mid to high altitudes in the western United States of America. It belongs to the genus ''Sceloporus'' (sp ...

arenicolus'', a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

sagebrush lizard The sagebrush lizard or sagebrush swift (''Sceloporus graciosus'') is a common species of phrynosomatid lizard found at mid to high altitudes in the western United States of America. It belongs to the genus ''Sceloporus'' (spiny lizards) in ...

), is an insectivorous spiny lizard

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

which only occurs in the

shinnery oak ''Quercus havardii'' (common names include shinnery oak, shin oak and Havard oak) is a deciduous, low-growing, thicket-forming shrub that occupies some in the southern Great Plains of North America. Clones may reach hundreds to thousands of year ...

sand dune systems of extreme southeast

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

and only four counties in adjacent

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. ''Sceloporus arenicolus'' has the second-smallest range of all lizards in the United States.

Habitat

Their habitat is restricted to semi-stabilized sand dunes which include large networks of shinnery oak ('' Quercus havardii''), short (<2 m) shrubs, and sand sagebrush (''

Artemisia filifolia ''Artemisia filifolia'', known by common names including sand sagebrush, sand sage and sandhill sage, is a species of flowering plant in the aster family. It is native to North America, where it occurs from Nevada east to South Dakota and fro ...

'') on sloping, sandy topography, where the lizards use "blowouts" as their primary

microhabitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

. Blowouts are sandy, bowl-shaped interruptions in the shinnery oak sand dune system which look like small meteor craters. The roots of the shinnery oak shrubs provide structure for the dunes sagebrush lizards' burrows, where the lizards retreat from the blowouts when the sand surface is too hot or cold.

Threats

Habitat destruction is their primary threat. Shinnery oak through much of the lizard's range was sprayed with herbicide to clear the land for cattle grazing, and the lizards are now extinct at these locations. The dune systems are also heavily interrupted by oil industry activities. These interruptions allow Mesquite to invade areas where shinnery oak (and dunes sagebrush lizards) were once dominant. While herbicide spraying has been outlawed in the dunes sagebrush lizard's New Mexico distribution, development for the oil industry has not ceased. Competition from other lizard species may be a threat, as well. ''

Uta stansburiana The common side-blotched lizard (''Uta stansburiana'') is a species of side-blotched lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is native to dry regions of the western United States and northern Mexico. It is notable for having a unique fo ...

'', the side-blotched lizard, seems to be more of a habitat generalist than the dunes sagebrush lizard, and may be able to take advantage of recent habitat changes, introducing skewed resource competition that is not natural for that ecosystem. The

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

proposed listing the dunes sagebrush lizard as endangered under the

Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of ec ...

throughout its range in New Mexico and Texas. The final determination was originally due in July 2011, but was delayed to allow the scientific community to continue research to see if the listing was necessary."Proposed Rule to List the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) as Endangered Throughout its Range" ''Fish and Wildlife Service''
/ref> In June 2012 the Fish and Wildlife Service decided not to list it, citing the "unprecedented commitments to voluntary conservation agreements now in place in New Mexico and Texas" that provide for the long-term conservation of the species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4894889 Sceloporus Reptiles of the United States Endemic fauna of the United States Reptiles described in 1972