Phrynosoma platyrhinos
September 10, 2010: Kelso Dunes, San Bernardino County, CA
We found an adorable little Desert Horned Lizard near where we’d parked the vans – a first for me, although I wasn’t pleased with the way our professor handled it. I would have much preferred for us to just view this little friend from a distance.
May 12, 2011: Kelbaker Road, San Bernardino County, CA
Found two of these lizards during our Kelbaker Road night drive (3.0, 1.3 mi). They are not usually seen at night, so this seemed unusual. Both were found along the side of the road. I love their little grumpy faces!
May 14, 2011: Kelbaker Road, San Bernardino County, CA
Spotted during Kelbaker night drive.
May 15, 2022: Desert Tortoise Sanctuary, California City, CA
It was very warm at the sanctuary, where we’d hoped to find some desert tortoises. Because of the heat, we ended up not staying too long. No tortoises were seen, but we did find this gorgeous Desert Horned Lizard. The first thing I noticed about it was the brightness of its colors – rusty-reddish flecks. In the past, the horned lizards I’d seen were very washed out yellow. Of course, this makes sense given that previous sightings had happened either at Kelso Dunes, or in the Mojave Desert bajada, where the substrate is quite differently colored.
Let me know what you think!