Reptiles
Keeled Earless Lizard
Holbrookia propinqua · also called keeled earless lizards
Across a windswept barrier island dune, a keeled earless lizard darts between patches of sparse grass, its rougher, ridged scales and pale sandy colouration blending into coastal sand that a smoother-scaled inland relative would never actually call home.
Overview
The keeled earless lizard, Holbrookia propinqua, is a small, sand-adapted lizard native to coastal sand dune and barrier island habitat across southern Texas and adjacent northeastern Mexico. Its distinctly rough, keeled scales and specifically coastal habitat preference set it apart from its inland-dwelling lesser earless lizard relative.
A coastal specialist among inland relatives
While several earless lizard species stick to inland desert and grassland, the keeled earless lizard has instead carved out a niche specifically on coastal sand dunes, a habitat choice reflected in both its rougher scale texture and its more limited geographic range.
Status
Least Concern — present and stable across suitable coastal sand dune and barrier island habitat throughout southern Texas and northeastern Mexico.
Keeled Earless Lizard: common questions
How is the keeled earless lizard different from the lesser earless lizard?
The keeled earless lizard has distinctly raised, ridged, or keeled scales, giving it a noticeably rougher texture than the smoother-scaled lesser earless lizard, and it also favours coastal sand dune and barrier island habitat rather than the inland desert and grassland the lesser earless lizard typically occupies.
Why doesn't the keeled earless lizard have visible ears?
A keeled earless lizard lacks any visible external ear opening, an adaptation shared with its close relatives that helps keep sand out of the ear canal while the lizard burrows into loose coastal sand to escape predators or extreme heat.
What kind of habitat does the keeled earless lizard prefer?
A keeled earless lizard favours loose coastal sand dunes, beaches, and barrier island habitat, a more specifically coastal niche than several of its earless lizard relatives, which tend to favour inland desert and grassland instead.
Where does the keeled earless lizard live?
The keeled earless lizard is native to coastal sand dune and barrier island habitat across southern Texas and adjacent northeastern Mexico, generally remaining close to loose, open coastal sand.