Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard  (Uma inornata)

The Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard is a small, highly specialised reptile (3), suited to a life on continually shifting sands. The scaly fringes along the toes of the feet, after which this lizard is named, enable it to move with ease across and through sand, while thick, serrated eyelids prevent sand from getting in the eyes (2). Its body is covered with small, smooth scales, forming a striking pattern of black markings on a light grey or white background colour. This distinct network of black lines breaks up on the sides of the bodies and the limbs, where small, black spots speckle the greyish background instead The tail, which is typically longer than the body, is broad and flat (2).