U.S. Proposes More Protection for Lizard

A lizard that lives in one of North America’s harshest environments would receive additional government protection under a proposal announced Wednesday.

At the prodding of a federal court, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the flat-tailed horned lizard as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act because it has lost nearly half its habitat in the Southern California and southwestern Arizona deserts.

The lizard is found in the western Sonoran desert, including parts of the Coachella Valley in Riverside County and parts of Imperial and San Diego counties.