The desert horned lizard is a species of phrynosomatid lizard native to western North America. They are often referred to as "horny toads", although they are not toads, but lizards. The Desert Horned Lizard is a small, round lizard found throughout the West. They are well camouflaged in their surroundings, and body color can be beige, tan, brown, slightly reddish to match the rocky soils found in the desert. They are very flat-bodied with rough looking horns and bumps on their body. Desert horned lizards are solitary and can be active both during the day and at night. In southern range they are nocturnal but in the north of their range they diurnal and usually inactive at night. Horned lizards' foraging behavior puts them in danger of being eaten themselves. They are preyed upon by hawks, roadrunners, snakes, lizards, coyotes, ground squirrels, mice, cats and dogs, they will defend against these predators by shooting jets of toxix blood from glands under their eyes.

Scientific name: Phrynosoma platyrhinos

Conservation status: Least Concern (Population stable) 

Higher classification: Horned lizards

Order: Squamata

Phylum: Chordata