The Desert Horned lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos) is a horned lizard native to western North America.They are commonly referred to as horny toads or horned toads, although they are not toads.There are considered to be two subspecies: the Northern Desert horned lizard, Phrynosoma platyrhinos platyrhinos, ranging in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada and parts of southeastern Oregon; and the Southern Desert horned lizard, Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum, ranging in southern Utah and Nevada to southeast California, western Arizona, and northern Baja California.
Ten Facts about Desert Horned Lizard
- They typically range in size from 3 - 5in (7.6 - 13.6 cm).
- Desert horned lizards prey primarily on ants, but are also known to prey on other slow-moving insects such as beetles, as well as spiders and some plant material.
- When they find an area of soft sand, they usually shake themselves vigorously, throwing sand over their backs and leaving only their head exposed.
- They can usually be found in arid regions that have at least some loose soil available for burrowing, usually areas with sandy soils and limited vegetation such as sagebrush or shadscale.
- They typically range from southern Idaho in the north to northern Mexico in the south.
- These lizards mate in the spring and lay 2-16 eggs in June to July, which hatch sometime in August. Incubation lasts about 50-60 days.
- Individuals reach maturity in about 22 months.
- If provoked, they hiss and threaten to bite. When excited, they puff themselves up with air, similar to the way a Chuckwalla does, making themselves look bigger.
- They have been known to squirt a red liquid from their eyes as far as 5 feet.
- These lizards, in turn, are preyed upon by larger lizards, like the collared or leopard lizard, as wells as by snakes and birds.
