Why they're awesome: Greater short-horned lizards have a squat, flat shape and short snouts, which makes them look more like amphibians than reptiles — hence the nickname "horny toads." But these ...

Some animal adaptations look like they were designed by a committee of mad scientists. The greater short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi)—Wyoming's state reptile, also dubbed the "horny toad" ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. In the arid plains and rocky deserts of North America, a ...

Toad-headed lizards of the genus Phrynocephalus represent a remarkable radiation across arid and montane regions of Central Asia. Phylogenetic analysis has combined mitochondrial and nuclear DNA ...

AUSTIN, Texas — If you’ve lived in Texas for a while, you may have run across a tiny lizard with an identity crisis. Most folks call them horned toads, but they are, indeed, horned lizards. A Texas ...

KENEDY, Texas — "We couldn't wait to get home, change our clothes and go play with the Horned Toads," says Lisa Yaklin. She grew up in Kenedy, Texas... now designated as the 'Horned Toad Capital of ...

When it comes to creative survival tactics in the animal kingdom, few creatures can compete with a small, spiky reptile that weaponizes its own blood. The greater short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma ...

Oklahoma's scorching summer temperatures may cause many wildlife to retreat, but species like the Texas horned lizard enjoy soaking in the sun's rays. "Summer is the best season to watch for reptiles ...