Jan Richmond photographed this Chihuahuan Lyre Snake, Trimorphodon vilkinsonii, in Hillsboro on 09 September 2025. It is not commonly observed in our area.
This species is not listed on the USDA Forest Service checklist, but the New Mexico Herpetalogical Society website indicates the range of this species includes Sierra County. The NAFHA website uses Texas Lyresnake as the English common name for this species.
The eyes of this species are vertical (“cats-eye”) and the fangs are at the rear of its mouth. This species is typically found in the foothills, in the Black Range.
Two photographs of this observation will appear in The Reptiles of the Black Range and Adjacent Areas when the second edition is published. The publication date has not been set at this time.