Lesser Earless Lizard

Last fall we ventured out to Western Kansas to see the chalk formations and visit Little Jerusalem Badlands. Part of the trip was to see the rock formations, but I was also on a mission to photograph insects. The diversity and abundance of grasshopper species is remarkable. I spotted my very first lubber grasshopper. These massive hoppers are sure to leave an impression. On one of our many days spent outside exploring we visited a place called Smokey Valley Ranch, near Oakley, KS. This nearly 19,000-acre property is owned by the Nature Conservancy and is home to bison, prairie chickens, and pronghorn. There is a five-mile walking trail that takes you through short grass prairies, sandy soils, chalk formations and the beautiful terrain that only Western Kansas can offer.

We were about 100 yards into our hike when I saw rapid movement on the ground ahead of us. I wasn’t sure what it was, only that it was sizeable for an insect. As I got closer, I could tell it was not an insect, but a small lizard. It would run rapidly ahead of us, then stop, look back at us, as if to say, “you coming?” Then I would walk forward, it would dart ahead, stop, look and then repeat. This went on for quite some time; to say I was completely fascinated by this “friendly” little reptile would be an understatement. It finally allowed me to get close enough to capture some images, as if deciding he could trust me, or he was completely worn out by the cat-and-mouse game he initiated.

After capturing some images and doing a tentative Google search I was able to identify this lizard as a Lesser Earless Lizard. These small lizards reach about five inches in length from tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. Their body is rather stocky and may be brown, tan, gray or reddish-brown. There are four rows of chevron shaped markings down the back and variable other speckling. Some individuals lack markings altogether. As I was busy figuring out what type of lizard I was looking at, a movement to my right caught my attention, and there was another tiny lizard darting around. This lizard exhibited the same cat-and-mouse behavior as the first one. I finally caught up to it and captured some images of it as well. These adorable lizards lack the external ear openings that nearly all lizards have. This absence of a visible ear opening is what earned them the common name of earless lizard.

Their color can be highly variable and often is in direct correlation to the soil they are living on.

Earless lizards are diurnal and typically active at temperatures above 70 degrees. In the hottest summer months, they are active in mid-morning and late afternoon. During the hottest parts of the day, they hide under brush, plants and mammal burrows. The closest populations to us are in Saline, Dickenson and Ottawa counties in Kansas. Their range includes the Southwestern and parts of the Central United States. In South Dakota they are considered endangered.

 

We saw several of these charming lizards that day, and again the next day at a different location. It was comical watching them rush in and out of sage brush, succulents and other prairie plants looking for food or maybe just cooling their hot little feet off after running around on sun-soaked sand. Their diet consists of insects, spiders and smaller lizards, with grasshoppers and true bugs (stink bugs, assassin bugs, etc.), being their preferred food choice. Their rapid, erratic movements, and tendency to stop mid-movement may aid them in avoiding predators. Animals such as large lizards, small mammals, birds and snakes all enjoy a tiny lizard for dinner. 

Visiting new places with unique habitat features is a sure way to find new-to-you plants, animals and scenery. Let me recommend Western Kansas for some of the most unique rock formations, insect diversity, wildlife viewing and spectacular sunsets.