The Horned Lizards 



Total Length 6 inches. 



Length of Tail 2^ " 



Greatest Width of Body.. if 



Length of Central Horns | " 



The tail is very broad at the base and tapers very gradually 

 for the greater part of its length. 



Distribution. Southern portion of the Pacific region. The 

 ranges of the species is from immediately south of San Fran- 

 cisco, southward into the peninsula of Lower California and 

 into Sonora, Mexico. It is particularly abundant in the desert 

 regions of San Diego County, California. 



Habits. A very hardy lizard in captivity. Of the various 

 species of Phrynosoma observed by the writer, specimens of this 

 reptile have lived the longest and adapted themselves most 

 readily to captivity. They are very fond of mealworms, but 

 will also take ants, grasshoppers and crickets. 



THE TEXAS HORNED LIZARD 

 Phrynosoma cornutum, (Harlan) 



Most widely distributed and abundant of all the horned 

 lizards. It is the proverbial horned "toad" brought back by 

 the Eastern traveller from his trip to Texas. 



The head spines are large. There are two central horns, 

 rounded and directed rather sharply upward. On each temple 

 are three successively larger horns, the last or rear one slightly 

 smaller than the central pair (occipital horns'). Slightly beneath 

 the lower lip plates (labials') is a row of enlarged and projecting 

 plates. On each side of the central region of the chin is a single 

 row of enlarged scales. Among the great majority of specimens, 

 the scales of the abdomen are keeled; a few have faintly keeled 

 or smooth scales. There are two well-developed series of mar- 

 ginal, spiny scales. 



This is a very stout, rounded species, with a small, thin 

 tail. Its outlines are in strong contrast to the preceding one. 



Colouration. The markings are very distinct. A vividly- 

 defined, yellow band on the back, extends from immediately 

 behind the head and down the tail. On each side of the 

 nape is a large, dark blotch. Three dark rounded spots on 

 each side of the back, usually bordered in the rear with a 

 narrow crescent of bright yellow. On the top of the head are 



