Greater short-horned lizard
The greater short-horned lizard '', also commonly known as the mountain short-horned lizard or Hernández's short-horned lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is endemic to western North America. Like other horned lizards, it is often called a "horned toad" or "horny toad", but it is not a toad at all. It is a reptile, not an amphibian. It is one of seven native species of lizards in Canada.
Etymology
The genus Phrynosoma, means toad-bodied. The specific name, hernandesi, honors Francisco Hernández, a Spanish physician who wrote an early account of a horned lizard, which was published in 1615.Distribution
The greater short-horned lizard is the most widely distributed horned lizard in North America and occurs in the widest range of habitats: West into central Nevada, east into North and South Dakota, north to southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, and then south into eastern New Mexico to central Mexico, with a few pockets in Trans-Pecos Texas. This species of lizard is mostly an arid mountain dweller living in the range of 900–11,300 feet. It is the only member of its genus in Wyoming, which counts Phrynosoma as its state reptile. It is also considered an endangered species in Saskatchewan and Alberta.Habitat
The greater short-horned lizard occupies habitats from semiarid plains to high elevations in the mountains. This species is frequently found in a wide range of habitats like shortgrass prairies, sagebrush deserts, and juniper, pine, or fir forests. The soil in these habitats can be stony or rocky but usually has fine loose soil or sand present.The greater short-horned lizard is more cold tolerant than other species and is able to reach higher elevations and a greater distribution where the temperature is much cooler.
Description
The greater short-horned lizard is often mistaken for its close relative the pygmy short-horned lizard , which has the same basic body type consisting of small pointed scales around the head and back. Until recent mitochondrial DNA evidence, P. hernandesi was considered to be the same species as P. douglasii. They are now considered distinct species with the pygmy short-horned lizard occupying the northwest portion of the United States and extreme southern British Columbia. When placed together the two are easily distinguished at full size, the pygmy short-horned lizard being much smaller. P. hernandesi is a highly variable species with different geographic populations exhibiting differences in color, pattern and size with some authorities describing five subspecies.The greater short-horned lizard ranges in size from 2 to 5 inches in snout-to-vent length and is a flat-bodied, squat lizard with scales around the top of the head, normally called a "crown". It has a snub-nosed profile and short legs. The trunk is fringed by one row of pointed scales, while the belly scales are smooth. The color is gray, yellowish, or reddish-brown, and there are two rows of large dark spots on the back. When threatened or aggressive, its colors become more intense.
Females grow to larger sizes than males: females average about 7 cm SVL, with a maximum total length of about 15 cm, and weigh about ; whereas males have an SVL of only about 5 cm, and weigh on the average about. The adult male dermatocranial shape resembles that to be expected of a subadult female of the same body size.