In Depth: In China’s West, a Tiny Desert Lizard Makes a Last Stand

The long-eared sand lizard is not an imposing beast. Roughly six inches long, it scuttles across the dunes of China’s western frontier, hiding in the shadows of desert shrubs. When cornered, however, it has a trick: it flares open generous flaps of skin on the sides of its head to mimic a larger, more ferocious predator.