Aug 8, 200608:29 AMThe Life

Desert fauna: French-toast lizard

admin
Aug 8, 2006 - 08:29 AM
The endangered Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard (Uma inornata) has several specialized adaptations: elongated scales on its hind feet ("fringes") for added traction in loose sand, a shovel-shaped head and a lower jaw for diving into and moving short distances beneath the sand, elongated scales covering the ears to keep out sand, and a unique structure of internal nostrils that allows breathing below the sand without inhaling sand particles.

Tempers flared during the fight between developers and conservationists to establish the Coachella Valley Preserve, and this lizard was derisively nicknamed the "French-toast lizard" or simply "that damn lizard."

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