Texas horned lizard - Phrynosoma cornutum

Head of an adult Texas horned lizard

Description:

  • 2.5-4 inches total length
  • Found in dry, flat areas w/ little vegetation
  • Active during day
  • Prefers warmer temperatures
  • Feed on ants

Interesting Fact:

  • Horned lizards eat large bodied harvester ants almost exclusively. Except in North eastern Kansas and a few other isolated areas where there are no harvester ant species. In these parts of their range, horned lizards appear to subsist on a species of small "acrobat" ants.

Range map in Kansas:

Map of Kansas with counties containing horned lizards in orange.

More images:

Adult Texas horned lizard

horned-juv