# Blainville's Horned Lizard (*Phrynosoma blainvillii*) Blainville's Horned Lizard is a small, spiky lizard that looks like a tiny dinosaur! It has a flat body and can change color to blend in with its surroundings, helping it stay safe from predators. - **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Desert ![Blainville's Horned Lizard](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Coast_Horned_Lizard_%289096387129%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: National Park Service from USA, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coast_Horned_Lizard_%289096387129%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Blainville's Horned Lizard has a flattened, oval body covered in sharp, spiny scales, topped with a distinctive crown of horns around its head. Its skin displays cryptic patterns of grays, browns, and tans, often with dark blotches, allowing it to blend seamlessly into rocky or sandy environments. This camouflage makes it look like a textured rock or a patch of dry leaves. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Squamata - **Order:** Lacertilia - **Family:** Phrynosomatidae - **Genus:** Phrynosoma ## Interesting facts - Instead of running from danger, they sometimes puff up to look bigger and scarier! - Rainwater collects on their spiky back and then flows right into their mouth! - These lizards are often called 'horny toads' even though they are reptiles, not amphibians! - They love to eat ants, sometimes gobbling down hundreds in a single day! ## Special abilities - **Blood-Squirting Defense:** Blainville's Horned Lizard can squirt jets of blood from its eyes that helps them startle and confuse predators, giving the lizard time to escape. - **Instant Camouflage:** Blainville's Horned Lizard has a flattened body and speckled skin that helps them disappear instantly into sandy or rocky backgrounds. - **Spiky Armor:** Blainville's Horned Lizard has sharp horns and spiny scales that help them deter predators from trying to swallow them. - **Quick Burial:** Blainville's Horned Lizard can rapidly wiggle its body to bury itself partially in loose soil, helping them hide quickly from danger. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 10-15 cm - **Weight:** 0.02-0.05 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-8 years - **Speed:** 8 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 6-21 - **Incubation:** 45-75 days ## Diet & Feeding This amazing lizard loves to munch on ants, especially harvester ants, and other small insects. - **Primary Foods:** Ants, Beetles, Grasshoppers, Spiders - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red-tailed Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-tailed-hawk) (*Buteo jamaicensis*) — A common raptor predator. - **Eaten by:** [Gopher Snake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gopher-snake) (*Pituophis catenifer*) — Hunts these lizards. - **Eaten by:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — An opportunistic predator. - **Eats:** [California Harvester Ant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-harvester-ant) (*Pogonomyrmex californicus*) — Primary food source. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Horned](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/horned): Characterized by having one or more hard, permanent, pointed projections on the head. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Thermoregulating](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/thermoregulating): Thermoregulating organisms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the external environment. - [Desert](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/desert): Desert habitats are arid regions characterized by extremely low precipitation and often extreme temperatures, supporting specialized flora and fauna. - [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low If you see a lizard, watch it from a distance and don't try to touch it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Blainville's Horned Lizard? Compare toes, scales, head shape, crests and tail proportions. Many lizards can drop and regrow their tails, so a short tail isn't always a species trait. Lizard Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Blainville's Horned Lizard? 10-15 cm ### How much does Blainville's Horned Lizard weigh? 0.02-0.05 kg ### How long does Blainville's Horned Lizard live? 5-8 years ### How fast can Blainville's Horned Lizard move? 8 km/h ### What does Blainville's Horned Lizard eat? This amazing lizard loves to munch on ants, especially harvester ants, and other small insects. ### Where is Blainville's Horned Lizard usually found? Desert ### How does Blainville's Horned Lizard hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Ruth Bancroft Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ruth-bancroft-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [Old Borges Ranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/old-borges-ranch) — California, US · Historic Site ## More Reptiles - [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*) - [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*) - [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*) - [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*) --- Source: [Blainville's Horned Lizard: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blainvilles-horned-lizard)