The rare dunes sagebrush lizard should be protected. It has the second-smallest range of any North American lizard, living only in a small sliver of southeast New Mexico and western Texas on sand dunes covered by shinnery oak.
In New Mexico, at least 40 percent of its habitat has been wiped out just since 1982. In Texas, it survives in less than 15 percent of its historic range.
It has been a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act for 10 years and is in desperate need of protection. The Fish and Wildlife Service has assigned the second highest listing priority number to the dunes sagebrush lizard – 2 out of 12 – meaning it faces severe and immediate threats.
Refusing protections would be disastrous for the species and weaken the Endangered Species Act.