Holbrookia is a genus of earless lizards, known commonly as the lesser earless lizards, which contains three recognized species that are found throughout the southwestern and central United States, and northern Mexico. They are characterized by having no external ear openings, presumably to prevent sand from entering the body when they are digging. The name Holbrookia is in honor of American zoologist, John Edwards Holbrook.^[1]

Description

Lesser earless lizards grow to approximately 2-2.5 inches (50-65 mm) snout to vent length (SVL), plus a tail 3-4 inches (75-100 mm) long. They are typically grey or tan in color, with black blotching. The males usually have blue patches on either side of the belly, whereas the females do not. Females will often change to have bright orange patches when gravid.

Behavior

Holbrookia species are diurnal, basking lizards. They spend the vast majority of their time sunning on rocks, even in the heat of the day. Up until the surface temperature reaches approximately 104 °F, when they will retreat to a rock crevice or burrow. They are insectivorous.

Species

• spot-tailed earless lizard, Holbrookia lacerata Cope, 1880
• lesser earless lizard, Holbrookia maculata Girard, 1851
• keeled earless lizard, Holbrookia propinqua Baird & Girard, 1852

Geographic range

Earless lizards are found in the southwestern and central United States, in the states of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and as far north as Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. They are also found in Mexico, in the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas and Veracruz.

See also

• Genus Cophosaurus, the Greater Earless Lizards.

References

• Genus Holbrookia at The Reptile Database
• Colorado Herpetological Society: Lesser Earless Lizard

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