Little Lizards with Radio Backpacks

I just couldn't get over the high cuteness factor of this photo, sure researchers have been radio tagging animals to study their behaviors for awhile but with little backpacks?



"Once caught, the lizards are tagged with tiny micro-chips and outfitted with transmitter-equipped backpacks that Mr. Hackler and his grandmother make from canvas scraps."

They are monitoring the Texas horned lizard population around the Tinker Air ForceBase in Oaklahoma where they hope to understand "the complexity of the lizards’ habitat, halt their steady decline, and find ways for man and reptile to coexist peacefully." Sounds good enough but look at what they are really trying to do:

"The knowledge they gain could prevent the Texas horned lizard from wandering onto the federal protection list. Currently the creature is state-listed as a “species of special concern” due to its dwindling numbers. If the species becomes federally listed, it could place environmental restrictions on the mission at Tinker. “Preventing the lizard from being federally listed helps the Air Force avoid more restrictions,” Mr. Moody said."

So they are basically hoping to prove that it is not endangered so that the Air Force can avoid those pesky environmental restrictions.