Research ecologist Cameron Barrows searches for the flat-tailed horned lizard in a wind-swept area of the desert east of Palm Springs. This is the last corner in the Coachella Valley that still has a population of these lizards, he said. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Cameron Barrows releases an endangered fringe-toed lizard after catching it in the Coachella Valley Preserve. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Biologist Ileene Anderson, with the Center for Biological Diversity, searches for the flat-tailed horned lizard in the Coachella Valley Preserve. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
The perimeter fence at the Coachella Valley Preserve warns the public about trespassing. Beyond the wire are endangered species, including the fringe-toed lizard and the flat-tailed horned lizard. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Barrows holds an endangered fringe-toed lizard in the Coachella Valley Preserve. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
The endangered fringe-toed lizard gets its name from the fringes on its feet that enable it to “swim” through desert sand. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Barrows searches for the flat-tailed horned lizard in the Coachella Valley Preserve. Nearly all of its habitat in this region has been lost since 1970, the research ecologist said. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
