Facts about Mountain Horned Lizard
- 08
Rough, bumpy skin covered in keratin spikes gives the mountain horned lizard its distinctive textured appearance and provides additional camouflage in rocky habitats.
- 07
Cryptic coloration matching rocky terrain allows mountain horned lizards to remain nearly invisible to predators while basking on sun-warmed stones in arid environments.
- 06
Breeding occurs in spring and early summer, with mountain horned lizards producing clutches of 3 to 15 eggs that incubate in soil for approximately 60 days before hatching.
- 05
Female mountain horned lizards typically measure between 4.5 and 6 inches in total length, while males generally reach only 3.5 to 4.5 inches.
- 04
Phrynosoma hernandesi feeds primarily on harvester ants, consuming up to 600 individual ants per feeding session to meet its nutritional needs.
- 03
When threatened, the mountain horned lizard can squirt blood from the corners of its eyes up to six feet as a defensive mechanism to startle predators.
- 02
Desert regions of the southwestern United States host the mountain horned lizard, which survives extreme heat by becoming inactive during midday hours.
- 01
Horns protruding from the mountain horned lizard's head contain bone cores covered in keratin, with some individuals displaying up to eight prominent cranial projections.