Greater short-horned lizard

Often called horned toads, these lizards are nowhere closely related to amphibians

William L. Farr

Small, flat, round lizards have short, stubby horns. The ‘horns’ on the rear of the skull are a crown of small, pointed scales. On the back, two rows of sizable black dots are either gray, yellowish, or reddish-brown in hue.

During the day, the species is most active, burrowing at night. These lizards become thrilled by the sight of a moving insect, which prompts them to chase after the moving insect and swallow it whole. Populations of short-horned lizards have been declining recently across much of their range. This has been exacerbated by the pet trade and the destruction of their natural habitat.

Distribution

Country
Population est.
Status
Year
Comments
Canada
2007
Mexico
2007
United States
2007

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Terrestrial / Aquatic

Altricial / Precocial

Polygamous / Monogamous

Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd

Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

Migratory: Yes / No

Domesticated: Yes / No

Dangerous: Yes / No