The regal horned lizard (''Phrynosoma solare'') is a horned lizard

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

native to

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

and the Southwest United States.

Description

The regal horned lizard is a small, flat lizard about the size of the palm of a man's hand. Though it has spikes all around its body, the regal horn's main defense is the ability to squirt blood from its eyes. * 3–4 inches or 117 mm in length from nose to tail as a full adult. * Pale grey to yellow-brown or reddish topped with dark blotches alongside the body and back. * 4 legs each leg with 5 toes and claws on each toe. * Slow runner that uses camouflage to escape predators.

Distribution

This lizard can be found across southeastern Arizona and along the transition of the southern zone of the central mountains region.

Habitat

This horned lizard occupies primarily level or gently sloping terrain with openly spaced desert vegetation such as

mesquite Mesquite is a common name for several plants in the genus '' Prosopis'', which contains over 40 species of small leguminous trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. They have extremely long roots to seek water from very far under g ...

creosote bush ''Larrea tridentata'', called creosote bush and greasewood as a plant, chaparral as a medicinal herb, and ''gobernadora'' ( Spanish for "governess") in Mexico, due to its ability to secure more water by inhibiting the growth of nearby plants. In ...

, and

saguaro The saguaro (, ) (''Carnegiea gigantea'') is a tree-like cactus species in the monotypic genus ''Carnegiea'' that can grow to be over tall. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains ...

cactus. It can be found primarily in a hot and dry climate where the Earth may be covered in limestone dust. It is found in the Sonoran Desert Mountains is where it prefers its climate, but can be found in Texas, southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Diet

They eat mostly harvester ants, and can eat twenty-five hundred ants in one meal. They are slow eaters, because they spend most of their time in the intense heat of the desert during meals. They eat flies, spiders, and a variety of insects.

Behavior

This is a year-round active type of lizard, but during winter, its activity is usually restricted to unseasonably warm days. They may hibernate late September through October. The lizard basks in the sun with only its head poking out of the sand. The blood is heated within a chamber inside the head. When the blood is hot enough, the reptile opens a valve in its neck and circulates the blood around the body. It looks for shelter from cold temperatures by digging holes in the ground. When it is threatened or captured, it squirts blood from its eye. This blood may have a taste used to deter predators. If the camouflage and intimidation does not work, that is when they squirt out blood aiming for the predators mouth and eyes. This stream can range up to 4 feet and may be repeated several times. The stream comes out through its lower eyelids' pores. Some other defensive behaviors include gulping air and poking with the horns.

Reproduction

Mating for the regal horned lizard begins in late April, peaks in June, and stops abruptly in July. Egg laying starts a few weeks later, usually in late July and early August. About 10–30 eggs are laid (15 on average). The eggs are laid in the sand and are required to stay there for several weeks. The egg shells are white and flexible and average about one-half inch in diameter. The hatch-lings receive no parental care upon hatching and immediately bury themselves in the sand. They are now responsible for finding and hunting for their own food. Several diverting tactics are used to attract a mate, such as: head bopping, push ups, and nodding of the head.

References

External links

Photos at reptilesofaz.org

{{Taxonbar, from=Q338908 Regal horned lizard Reptiles of Mexico Reptiles of the United States Fauna of the Western United States Reptiles described in 1845 Taxa named by John Edward Gray