rock are also habitat for the lizard. Plants identified in association with greater earless lizards include honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), sotol (Dasylirion), lechuguilla (Agave lecheguilla), prickly pear cactus (Opuntia), leatherstem (Jatropha dioica), and candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica). The color of an individual lizard often bears a striking correlation to the prevailing colors of the rocks and substrates where it lives: e.g. specimens from Llano County, Texas have been noted for their rusty brown color similar to the red granite characteristic of much of the Llano Uplift. Cophosaurus can be locally abundant and among the most common species of herpetofauna in some areas, and yet absent from seemingly appropriate habitat other areas. Behavior Greater earless lizards are diurnal, with most populations exhibiting a bimodal daily activity pattern, peeking late in the morning, followed by a period of reduced activity in the afternoon heat, and a second activity period in the late afternoon. They have a high optimum temperature range, typical active body is 37–41°C (98.6–105.8°F). At night, Cophosaurus will often burrow in loose sand as deep as 15.3 cm. (6 in.) or in areas without sand, they may partially bury in loose gravel or shale, or sleep on the surface. Females have been found communally buried under shale on cold winter days. They are predominantly ground dwelling lizards that often seek a high perch, such as a protruding rock, to survey their area for passing prey and approaching predators. They are reluctant to retreat into crevices or borrows to evade predators, but instead will run from one rock to another with great speed, or rapidly dash a few yards only to make an abrupt stop and then freeze, at which point their remarkable camouflage seems to make them disappear. Cophosaurus are known to engage in bipedal locomotion (running on two feet) during short burst of speed. Males, females, and even hatchlings only five minutes old exhibit territorial displays including head bobbing, pushups, lateral body compression. Another conspicuous behavior is the habit of lifting its tail and curling it over its back while running and waving the striking black and white banded tail in the air, diverting attention away from the head and body to the relatively expendable tail. The practice of curling the tail over the body while of running also serves a functional purpose as a counter-balance, shifting the center of gravity closer to