Roundtail Horned Lizard

Taxobox
name = Roundtail Horned Lizard

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regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
ordo = Squamata
familia = Phrynosomatidae
genus = "Phrynosoma"
species = "P. modestum"
binomial = "Phrynosoma modestum"
binomial_authority = Girard, 1852

The Roundtail Horned Lizard ("Phrynosoma modestum") is the smallest species of horned lizard. Their specific epithet is from the Latin word "modestum" meaning modest or calm. They are found in the United States, in western Texas, New Mexico and eastern Arizona, and three states in Mexico where they are referred to as "tapayaxtin".

Habitat

Round tailed Horned Lizards prefer a sandy, semi-arid habitat with sparse vegetation, near harvester ant or especially honeypot ant colonies, which is their primary diet.

Description

The color of Roundtail Horned Lizards usually reflects the color of the soil in their native habitat. Most are uniformly grey in color, but they can also be light brown, or even a pale yellow. Often there are darker colored regions around the neck and groin region, and sometimes striping on the tail.

They are short, flat, round bodied lizards with short limbs, and a small head which has a distinctive crest of nearly equal length horns.

Reproduction

Roundtail horned lizards are oviparous, breeding and laying eggs in early summer.

References

*Sherbrooke, W. C. 2003. "Introduction to horned lizards of North America". University of California Press.
* [http://www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/lizards/phrynosoma.modestum.html Herps of Texas: "Phrynosoma modestum"]
* [http://www.desertusa.com/april96/du_hliz.html Desert USA: Horned Lizards]

External links

* [http://www.hornedlizards.org/ Horned Lizard Conservation Society]