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Cophosaurus texanus TROSCHEL, 1852

IUCN Red List - Cophosaurus texanus - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaPhrynosomatidae, Phrynosomatinae, Callisaurini; Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
SubspeciesCophosaurus texanus scitulus (PETERS 1951)
Cophosaurus texanus reticulatus (PETERS 1951)
Cophosaurus texanus texanus TROSCHEL 1850 
Common NamesE: Greater Earless Lizard
E: Chihuahuan Greater Earless Lizard, Southwestern Earless Lizard [scitulus]
E: Texas Earless Lizard [texanus]
S: Lagartijón Sordo 
SynonymCophosaurus texanus TROSCHEL 1852: 289
Holbrookia texana — BAIRD & GIRARD 1852
Holbrookia affinis BAIRD & GIRARD 1852: 125 (fide GÜNTHER 1885)
Holbrookia texana — COPE 1880: 16
Holbrookia texana — BOULENGER 1885: 208
Holbrookia texana — COPE 1900
Holbrookia texana — SCHMIDT 1922
Holbrookia texana — BURT 1935
Holbrookia texana — SMITH 1935
Holbrookia texana — SMITH 1946
Holbrookia texana — SMITH & TAYLOR 1950: 85
Cophosaurus texanus — CLARKE 1965
Holbrookia texana — COX & TANNER 1977
Holbrookia texana — CONANT 1978
Cophosaurus texanus — STEBBINS 1985: 116
Cophosaurus texanus — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 99
Cophosaurus texanus — LINER 1994
Cophosaurus texanus texanus — LINER 2007
Cophosaurus texanus — HEIMES 2022

Cophosaurus texanus reticulatus (PETERS, 1951)
Holbrookia texana reticulata PETERS 1951
Holbrookia texana reticulata — KLUGE 1984
Cophosaurus texanus reticulatus — LINER 2007

Cophosaurus texanus scitulus (PETERS 1951)
Holbrookia texana scitula PETERS 1951: 8
Holbrookia texana scitula — FUGLER 1956
Holbrookia texana scitula — ETHERIDGE 1964
Cophosaurus texanus scitulus — KLUGE 1984
Cophosaurus texanus scitulus — TANNER 1987
Cophosaurus texanus scitulus — LINER et al. 1993
Cophosaurus texanus scitulus — LEMOS-ESPINAL et al. 2004
Cophosaurus texanus scitulus — LINER 2007
Cophosaurus texanus scitulus — CROTHER et al. 2012 
DistributionUSA (SW Arizona, S New Mexico, W Texas),
Mexico (NE Sonora, N Chihuahua, NE Durango, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, W Tamaulipas, N Zacatecas)

scitulus: USA (Arizona, S Texas), Mexico (Coahuila, N San Luis Potosi); Type locality: On rocks at mouth of small arroyo entering Cañada del Oro del Oro, 16 miles north of Tucson, Pima Co., Arizona.

reticulatus: Mexico (Sonora); Type locality: Pilares, Sonora.

texanus: Texas, Oklahoma; NeoType locality: Texas, Comal, NE edge New Braunfels.

Type locality: New Braunfels, on the Guadalupe River, Texas.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesNeotype: UMMZ 100811 (fide Peters 1951)
Holotype: UMMZ 100817 [reticulatus]
Holotype: UMMZ 100818 [scitulus]
Syntype: USNM 2662 [Holbrookia affinis] 
DiagnosisAdditional details, e.g. a detailed description or comparisons (2267 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentSynonymy: AXTELL (1958) proposed to separate Cophosaurus from Holbrookia in a PhD thesis (Univ. Texas). Cox & Tanner 1977 proposed to synonymize Cophosaurus with Holbrookia, based on osteological and other evidence (they did not propose anything on reticulatus or scitulus).

Type Species: Cophosaurus texanus is the type species of the genus Cophosaurus TROSCHEL 1852.

Similar species: Callisaurus draconoides.

Reference images: see Uetz et al. 2024 for high-resolution reference images for this species. 
EtymologyThe species name “texanus” refers to its occurrence in Texas. The subspecific name “scitulus” is a Latin word meaning "beautiful." 
References
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