Meet the sand dune lizard.

Cute little guy, isn’t he?

Well, for a lizard.  He’s also known as the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard; this endearing little critter is native to the American Southwest.  Specifically, eastern New Mexico and West Texas.  This is what the lizard’s preferred habitat looks like:

Notice what’s missing?  Oil derricks.  You see, the favored habitat of the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard also happens to be a favored habitat of the Domestic Production Crude Oil Rig: the US Fish and Wildlife Service plans to declare the former to be an endangered species, and you know just how this story ends, right? Continue reading Meet the sand dune lizard.