Pygmy short-horned lizard
species of reptile
The pygmy short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma douglasii) is a species of small horned lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is native to the northwestern United States and adjacent southwestern 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.
Etymology
The specific name, douglasii, is in honor of Scottish botanist David Douglas.
Identification
The pygmy short-horned lizard is often mistaken for its close relative, the greater short-horned lizard (P. hernandesi), as both species have much of the same physiology, such as a squat body and small, "horn"-like, pointed scales located along the head, back and side body. Until recent mitochondrial DNA evidence was revealed, the greater short-horned lizard was considered to be the same species as the pygmy short-horned lizard, but the two are now considered distinct, with the pygmy species occupying the northwest portion of the U.S. and, formerly, the extreme south of British Columbia (now extirpated from Canada). When placed together, the two are easily distinguished at maturity, as the pygmy short-horned lizard is considerably smaller. The greater short-horned lizard is a highly variable species, as well, with different geographic populations exhibiting differences in colouration and patterning, in addition to overall size; some authorities describe up to five subspecies.
The pygmy short-horned lizard measures roughly 1.25–2.5 in (3.2–6.4 cm) from snout-to-vent (SVL) and is a flat-bodied, squat lizard with short (but not sharp) spikes crowning the head.
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The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as species of reptile. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q898028. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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This entry incorporates text from “Pygmy short-horned lizard” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.