The State : Lizards on Borderline

The battle against illegal drugs and aliens has left unexpected casualties near the Mexican border: flat-tailed horned lizards flattened by off-road U.S. Border Patrol vehicles. Bureau of Land Management officials allege that Border Patrol agents not only kill the lizards but disregard off-limits signs and barriers, destroying archeological finds up to 10,000 years old in the Yuha Basin. The Yuha area, 25 miles north of the Mexican border, is one of four desert areas where the lizards live. The lizard, which grows to be five inches long, is a protected species under California and federal law. Border Patrol officials say too much fuss is being made over the reptiles. “Is the plight of the flat-tailed horned lizard so critical that it overrides the prevention of potential loss of lives or the scourge of drugs being introduced into this country? I think not,” said Dale Musegades, El Centro’s chief patrol agent.