About Phrynocephalus versicolor Strauch, 1876
Phrynocephalus versicolor Strauch, 1876 reaches a total length of approximately 13 cm (5 in) when including the tail. Its tail is longer than the combined length of the head and body. The head is large and rounded, with a blunt snout that has an oblique profile. This snout shape makes the lizard's nostrils easily visible when viewed from above. There is no transverse fold of skin across the lizard's shoulders. Large, smooth, unribbed scales run along the lizard's spine. Other scales on the dorsal (upper) surface of the body are thickened, with slightly raised rear margins. This texture gives the lizard a rough overall appearance. Scales on the ventral (lower) surface are modified into short spines. The tail is long and tapering; it is flattened at the base and becomes cylindrical further from the body. Males have a thicker base to the tail than females. The lizard's body coloration is variable. The dorsal surface is typically olive or leaden-grey, marked with two to five transverse brownish-black bars. The darkest bars are located just behind the shoulders, and an orange patch is often present in the armpit region. The legs are also marked with darker colored bands, and the underparts of the body are white. The tail has up to nine dark bars, some of which extend onto the underside of the tail, and the tip of the tail is black on its underside. This species occurs in Mongolia, and in the Chinese provinces of Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, and Nei Mongol. It inhabits stony plains and slopes, canyons, and sand dunes that support sagebrush and other sparse scrubby vegetation. Most of the species' habitat lies above 3,200 m (10,500 ft) in elevation. Temperatures in its range can vary from −30 °C (−22 °F) in winter to 40 °C (104 °F) in summer. Precipitation in this habitat is very low, and any small amount of rainfall is concentrated in mid-summer.
