Rare lizard found in major US oil patch proposed as endangered species

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. wildlife managers are proposing federal protections for a rare lizard found only in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday that the dunes sagebrush lizard should be listed as an endangered species due to the ongoing threats of oil and gas production, mining and climate change. Environmentalists have been pushing for protections for decades. Oil and gas operators and ranchers in the lucrative Permian Basin have strongly opposed listing the reptile, saying doing so could disrupt businesses and add extra costs. Light brown and spiny, the lizard lives in large sand dunes and among shinnery oak.