Giant horned lizard

Giant horned lizard
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Phrynosomatidae
Genus:	Phrynosoma
Species:	P. asio
Binomial name
Phrynosoma asio Cope, 1864 [2]

San Diego Zoo

With a common chuckwalla and a gila monster, at the Bronx Zoo

The giant horned lizard (Phrynosoma asio) is a species of phrynosomatid lizard which is endemic to the Pacific coast of southern Mexico. It is the largest horned lizard and is also the most slender (it has a more typical lizard-like appearance). It is able to survive in the desert. The spines on its back and sides are made from modified scales, whereas the horns on its head are true horns (i.e., they have a bony core). They are commonly named for their large size, which can reach up to 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) from snout to tail, hence the name.

References

1. Luis Canseco-Marquez, Antonio Muñoz, André García, Paulino Ponce. (2013). Phrynosoma asio. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T198393A2524363.en
2. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.