New endangered listing for rare lizard could slow oil and gas drilling in New Mexico and West Texas

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Federal wildlife officials have declared a rare lizard in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas an endangered species.

FILE - This May 1, 2015, file photo shows a Dunes Sagebrush lizard in N.M. Federal wildlife officials declared the rare lizard in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas an endangered species, citing future energy development, sand mining and climate change as the biggest threats to its survival in one of the world's most lucrative oil and natural gas basins.

“The dunes sagebrush lizard spent far too long languishing in a Pandora’s box of political and administrative back and forth even as its population was in free-fall towards extinction,” Bird said in a statement. Scientists say the lizards are found only in the Permian Basin, the second-smallest range of any North American lizard. The reptiles live in sand dunes and among shinnery oak, where they feed on insects and spiders and burrow into the sand for protection from extreme temperatures.

Then-U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said at the time that the decision was based on the “best available science” and because of voluntary conservation agreements in place in New Mexico and Texas.

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