texanus in his paper dated 1850, but not published until 1852. Later that same year the species was transferred to the genus Holbrookia in a review by Spencer Fullerton Baird and Charles Frédéric Girard, and subsequent literature used the name Holbrookia texana for well over a century. Troschlel's description was based on two specimens, cotypes or syntypes, both lost in the Second World War. In 1951 James A. Peters published a review of the species recognizing three subspecies and designating a neotype for C. t. texanus, although still placing them in the genus Holbrookia. In a 1958 Ph. D. dissertation reviewing the genus Holbrookia, herpetologist Ralph W. Axtell excluded Holbrookia texana with little comment, and this was noted by Robert F. Clarke in his 1965 Ph. D. dissertation who placed it back in the original genus Cophosaurus. Both combinations, Cophosaurus texanus and Holbrookia texana, were used by various authors in the 1970s, but despite arguments for the placement of the species in Holbrookia, Cophosaurus was in predominant use by the 1980s and later allozymes analysis supported the recognition of the genus. Three subspecies are currently recognized (2022), with standardized English names. Texas greater earless lizard, Cophosaurus texanus texanus, Troschlel 1852 [1850] Sonoran greater earless lizard, Cophosaurus texanus reticulatus, (Peters 1951) Chihuahuan greater earless lizard, Cophosaurus texanus scitulus, (Peters 1951) Description The greater earless lizard is a medium sized lizard (relative to other species in its range) and the largest of the earless lizards. A range of sizes have been reported by various authors: Texas greater earless lizard (C. t. texanus), males 8.3 – 18.1 cm. [3.25 – 7.1 in.], females 7 – 14.3 cm. [2.75 – 5.6 in.]; Chihuahuan greater earless lizard (C. t. scitulus), males 9 – 18.4 cm. [3.5 – 7.25 in.], females 6.7 – 13.5 cm. [2.6 – 5.3 in.] in total lengths are representative of the species. Greater earless lizards do not have external ear openings. The scales on the body are small and granular, with the dorsal scales slightly smaller than the ventral scales. Their legs, particularly the hind legs, are relatively long. The tail is slightly flattened and longer than head and body combined. The underside of the tail is white with 5 to 9 (usually 6 or 7) bold, contrasting black bands (excluding individuals with regenerated tails). The base color can be various shades of grays, browns, tans, or reddish brown and generally