Pygmy Short-horned Lizard

Description:

This is a medium-sized lizard with a blunt snout, round flattened body, short legs and a short triangular tail. Maximum size is around 65 mm snout-vent length. Females are significantly larger than males. Spines or “horns” project from the back of the head and fringe-like spines occur on the sides. Pygmy Short-horned Lizards occur primarily in the shrub-steppe. They require soil conditions that allow them to burrow below the surface and substrate that is well-drained. Pygmy Short-horned Lizards are active mid-day during spring and fall but in summer are inactive during the middle of the day when temperatures are at their maximum. Activity periods are generally in the morning and for a short time again in the evening starting around 4:30 PM.

Habitat:

Shrub-steppe, 3000ft elevation

Notes:

This guy allowed me to pose him for the first picture =)