Holbrookia maculata approximans
Encyclopedia
The speckled earless lizard (Holbrookia maculata approximans) is a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...

 of the lesser earless lizard (Holbrookia maculata
Holbrookia maculata
The lesser earless lizard is a species of phrynosomid lizard endemic to the southwestern and central United States and northern Mexico.-Geographic range:...

), which is found in the Southwestern
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...

 United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

. It is sometimes referred to as the western earless lizard.

Description

The speckled earless lizard is an overall gray-brown in color, with black and white speckling all along its back, with a solid gray-brown underside. It has distinct black and white bars immediately preceding the hind legs. Males tend to have a blue coloration to the white bars, whereas females do not. Like all species of earless lizard
Earless lizard
Earless lizards are two genera of small lizards native to the semi-arid and grassland habitats of the southwestern United States and Mexico. The genus Cophosaurus and the genus Holbrookia are both characterized by having no external ear openings, presumably to prevent sand from entering the body as...

s, it has no external ear
Ear
The ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....

 openings.

Behavior

Like all species of earless lizards, the speckled earless lizard is diurnal
Diurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...

 and insectivorous
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....

. They prefer sandy, grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...

 habitats
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...

with sparse vegetation. They tend to be a nervous, wary species that flees quickly if approached.
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