Window Trail Stop #9

The beautiful coloration of a Greater Earless Lizard

NPS/H. Oldiges

Quick Facts

Location:

Big Bend National Park

Listen closely as you walk towards the Window. Do you hear light rustling sounds in the undergrowth? Usually, these sounds can be attributed to lizards, but it could be something else! Big Bend National Park is home to a variety of reptiles, including 22 species of lizards and 31 species of snakes. By far the most colorful lizard that can be seen along this trail is the Greater Earless Lizard. The males exhibit pink and green colors around their midsection that are the most visible during breeding season. Rusty-rumped whiptail lizards are also common in the Chisos Mountains, but few people see the Texas alligator lizard, a heavy-bodied relict lizard species. Near the end of the trail, look for garter snakes in the seasonal pools of water. Perhaps the most common snake seen in the Chisos Mountains is the patchnose snake, a slender gray snake with brown stripes. The Chisos Mountains are also home to the red phase of the rock rattlesnake. This small rattler is white or gray in much of its range but is red or maroon in this area.