About Phrynosoma mcallii (Hallowell, 1852)
The flat-tail horned lizard, scientifically named Phrynosoma mcallii (Hallowell, 1852), is named after United States Army Colonel George A. M'Call, who collected the first specimen in California in the 19th century. This species has a small native range in the Sonoran Desert, covering southeastern California, southwestern Arizona, and extreme northern Mexico in the states of Baja California and Sonora. Over time, horned lizard populations have adapted to local climate, food sources, and predators, leading to distinct differences between different populations. Phrynosoma mcallii is a medium-sized, flat-bodied lizard with a wide oval-shaped body. It has scattered enlarged pointed scales on its upper body and tail. The skin on its back is smooth with small spines. Eight horns extend from the back of the head; the two central horns are long, slender, and sharp. It has long and narrow spines on the lower jaw, and two rows of fringe scales along the sides of the body, where the bottom row of scales is smaller than the upper row. Phrynosoma mcallii is oviparous.
