Greater Short-horned Lizard

Phrynosoma hernandesi

OrderSquamata

FamilyPhrynosomatidae

HabitatHigh-elevation grassland and open pine-oak woodland

SeasonActive spring through fall; dormant in winter

LocationDavis Mountains Preserve, Madera Canyon Road, Texas, Jeff Davis County, Texas

Size2.5-6 inches

DietAnts, beetles, and other small insects

ConservationLeast Concern (IUCN)

CameraNikon Z9Lens400mmAperturef/6.3Shutter1/4000ISO800

A tiny Greater Short-horned Lizard posing on a fingertip at the Davis Mountains Preserve.

About the Greater Short-horned Lizard

The Greater Short-horned Lizard is the mountain cousin of the familiar Texas Horned Lizard. It has a rounder, flatter body and only short nubs for horns, and it lives at elevations where its lowland relative cannot survive the cold.

It copes with mountain weather in an unusual way. Instead of laying eggs, the female gives birth to live young, which lets the babies develop in her body where she can keep them warm by basking. Like other horned lizards, it feeds mainly on ants and relies on camouflage rather than speed.

In Texas this species is limited to the high country of the Trans-Pecos. This little one was photographed in the Davis Mountains Preserve on June 15, 2023.

Want to see a Greater Short-horned Lizard in the wild?
Join one of my guided birding tours! Fine art prints of my photos are also available.

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