Flat-tailed Horned Lizard

About the Flat-tailed Horned Lizard

The flat-tail horned lizard (Phrynosoma mcallii), also known commonly as the flat-tailed horned lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. A species of reptile, it is endemic to the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its multiple adaptations for camouflage help to minimize its shadow. The species is threatened, with a restricted range under pressure from human activities such as agriculture and development, and is specially protected in the United States.

The flat-tail horned lizard is named for United States Army Colonel George A. M'Call, who collected the first specimen in California in the 19th century. The species occupies a small range in the Sonoran Desert of southeastern California, southwestern Arizona, and extreme northern Mexico in the Baja California and Sonora states. Over time, horned lizard populations have adapted to climate, food, and predators, causing them to in some ways be distinct from one another.

"A medium-sized flat-bodied lizard with a wide oval-shaped body and scattered enlarged pointed scales on the upper body and tail. The back skin is smooth with small spines... Wikipedia →