Pygmy short-horned lizard

Pygmy short-horned lizard
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Genus: Phrynosoma
Species: P. douglasii
Binomial name
Phrynosoma douglasii
(Bell, 1828)[1]

The pygmy short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma douglasii ) is a species of small horned lizard that occurs in the northwestern United States. In the past it also occurred in adjacent Canada. 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.[2]

Etymology

The specific name, douglasii, is in honor of Scottish botanist David Douglas.[3]

Identification

The pygmy short-horned lizard is often mistaken for its close relative the greater short-horned lizard (P. hernandesi ) which has the same basic body type consisting of small pointed scales around the head and back.[2] Until recent mitochondrial DNA evidence, the greater short-horned was considered to be the same species as the pygmy short-horned. 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 (now extirpated from Canada).[2] When placed together the two are easily distinguished at full size, the pygmy short-horned lizard being much smaller. The greater short-horned lizard is a highly variable species with different geographic populations exhibiting differences in color, pattern, and size, with some authorities describing five subspecies. The pygmy short-horned lizard ranges in size from 1.25–2.5 in (3.2–6.4 cm) in snout-to-vent length (SVL) and is a flat-bodied, squat lizard with short spines crowning the head.[4] They have 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, their colors become more intense.

References

  1. ↑ The Reptile Database. .
  2. 1 2 3 Sherbrooke, Wade C. 2003. Introduction to Horned Lizards of North America. California Natural History Guides. Oakland, California: University of California Press. 191 pp. ISBN 978-0520228276.
  3. ↑ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Phrynosoma douglasi, p. 75).
  4. ↑ Stebbins, Robert C. 2003. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians: Third Edition. The Peterson Field Guide Series ®. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. xiii + 533 pp. ISBN 978-0-395-98272-3. (Phrynosoma douglasii, pp. 303-304 + Plate 34 + Map 101).

Further reading

External links

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