Texas horned lizard - ZJ

The Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) is known for its spikey-body. This lizard ranges from the Sonoran desert in north mexico to Arizona and Texas.

Appearance
It has the largest body of all horned lizards in Americas and can reach lengths of 69mm. Colours often resemble their surroundings (tan), with contrasting darker blotches of colour and white markings on their head.

Features
Texas horned lizards have many adaptations that enable them to thrive in desert like conditions, they have a thick layer of skin to prevent dehydration, where there is usually less than three inches of rainfall. In addition, they use the scales on the front edge of their jaw to cut into the earth. They can then quickly bury themselves in the sand by wriggling their body into the sand to help escape temperatures of 120 °F (49 °C) in places such as Mexico. Moreover, their scales which are in the shape of spikes, allow dew to collect on their skin to run into their mouths. Finally they can contract their rib cages, increasing their surface area of their large flat body that is exposed to the sunlight. At cooler temperatures, the lizard will orientate itself to the sun.

Diet
Harvester ants make up the majority of the lizard’s diet; however their diet is supplemented with other insects such as grasshoppers and termites.

Breeding
Texas horned lizards mate once hibernation ends around May. After mating, the female and male build a tunnel underneath the ground to lay 13 to 45 eggs. The female sits on the eggs for one night and then leaves the eggs that lie there for a further five to nine weeks until they hatch.