Coast horned lizard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coast horned lizard |
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|---|---|
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Phrynosoma
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| Species: |
coronatum
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The coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum) is a cool type of lizard that lives only in Baja California Sur, Mexico. It's known for its spiky look and a unique defense trick: it can squirt streams of blood from its eyes when it feels threatened! This might sound strange, but it helps scare away predators.
How Scientists Study Horned Lizards
Scientists group living things into categories. This is called taxonomy. For a long time, people thought the coast horned lizard was one species with many different types, called subspecies. These subspecies were believed to live from Baja California all the way up to California.
A scientist named Bayard H. Brattstrom studied these lizards. He looked at many specimens but found it hard to tell the subspecies apart just by their looks. He thought that maybe these differences were just normal variations within one species, not separate subspecies.
Later, in 2009, another study looked at the lizards' DNA. This study suggested that the coast horned lizard might actually be three different species! They called them P. blainvillii, P. cerroense, and P. coronatum sensu stricto. This idea meant that the true P. coronatum only lives in Baja California Sur.
However, in 2021, another scientist named Gunther Köhler suggested that blainvillii and cerroense should go back to being subspecies of P. coronatum. So, scientists are still discussing the best way to classify these interesting lizards!
What Does the Coast Horned Lizard Look Like?
The coast horned lizard might look rough and spiky, but its skin is actually quite smooth. It does have sharp spikes along its sides, back, and head, which help protect it.
This is a fairly large lizard. It can grow up to 10 cm (about 4 inches) long, not counting its tail. It's not as round as some other horned lizards. Its body usually has two big dark spots behind its head, followed by three wide bands. Its tail also has several smaller bands.
The lizard's color can be different shades of brown. It often has creamy-colored accents around the dark spots and along the edges of its scales. This helps it blend in with its surroundings.
Different Types of Coast Horned Lizards
Within the coast horned lizard group, there are a few different variations. These variations share many similarities but have small differences in their body shapes or features.
One special variation, called Phrynosoma wigginsi, is a bit different from the others. This type of lizard lives on the eastern side of the Sierra de Guadalupe and Sierra de la Giganta mountains, which are in the central part of the Baja California Peninsula.
