Back to Species Index

Reptiles

Greater Earless Lizard

Cophosaurus texanus

Authorship: Troschel

Notes

It is the most abundant lizard on IMRS, and is known for death feigning.

Records

It was observed in several locations, including IMRS HQ and Echo Spring area (J.D. Johnson, UTEP).

Sources

[Axtell, 1991, Couvillon, 2011a, b, Franco, 2015, Mata-Silva et al., 2006, 2010, 2011]

Taxonomic Classification

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumChordata (Chordates)

SubphylumVERTEBRATA (Vertebrates)

ClassReptilia (Reptiles)

OrderSquamata (Lizards and Snakes)

SuborderLacertilia (Lizards)

FamilyPHRYNOSOMATIDAE (Earless, Horned, Side-blotched, Spiny, and Tree Lizard Family)

GenusCophosaurus

Speciestexanus

Recent Observations

Sourced from iNaturalist

csteinbronn8Jun 29, 2026South Guest Ranch Road, Fort Hancock, TX, US

jadewnelsMay 2, 2026Fort Hancock, TX, US

zbox80Mar 28, 2026Fort Hancock, TX, US

braulio32Jun 8, 2024Hudspeth County, TX, USA

johndeitschMay 4, 2024Hudspeth County, TX, USA

braulio32Jun 10, 2023Indio Mountains Research Station

highsingerMar 18, 2023Hudspeth County, TX, USA

irvintorresNov 19, 2022Fort Hancock, TX, US

highsingerJul 24, 2022Hudspeth County, TX, USA

esmeralda__rosalesMay 22, 2022Fort Hancock, TX, US

Conservation assessments from the following sources:

NatureServe Explorer
IUCN Red List
Texas Parks & Wildlife — Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)

Conservation status by source
IUCN Red List	LCLeast Concern
NatureServe Global (opens in new tab)	G5Secure
NatureServe (Texas) (opens in new tab)	S5Secure
Texas SGCN	Not assessed

Theses, papers, and notes featuring this species.