rhassan1d

This species of lizard has a distinctive flat body with one row of fringe scales down the sides. They have one row of slightly enlarged scales on each side of the throat. Colours can vary and generally blend in with the color of the surrounding soil, but they usually have a beige, tan, or reddish dorsum with contrasting, wavy blotches of darker color. They have two dark blotches on the neck that are very prominent and are bordered posteriorly by a light white or grey color. They also have pointed scales on the dorsum (back) of the body. Juveniles are similar to adults, but have shorter and less-pronounced cranial spines. Desert horned lizards have horns that are wide at the base, which isn't true for their congener, the short-horned lizard. Desert horned lizards prey primarily on invertebrates, such as ants (including red harvester ants,) crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, worms, flies, ladybugs, meal worms and some plant material. They can often be found in the vicinity of ant hills, where they sit and wait for ants to pass by. When they find an area of soft sand, they usually shake themselves vigorously, throwing sand over their backs and leaving only their head exposed. This allows them to hide from predators and await their unsuspecting prey. They are generally a gentle species, but have been known to try to push their cranial spines into the hand while held. When excited, they puff themselves up with air, similar to the way a Chuckwalla does, making themselves look bigger. If spotted near a bush, they will dash into it in an attempt to find cover from any threat. Like several other horned lizard species, desert horned lizards are able to squirt blood from their eyes. When the desert becomes extremely hot, lizards resort to estivation, meaning a period of inactivity. They go without much water and food and their breathing and heart rates slow down. Lizards are cold blooded reptiles, and as such, if the desert heat increases intensely, they will burn to death. Normally when resting, they conceal themselves underground, and they become stationary during that period. This is the way they adjust to the climate they live in. These particular types of lizard have a distinguished flat body having a row of fringed scales below at the sides, merging with the surrounding soil color. Their dorsum is tan, beige or reddish back, with darker colored wavy spots in contrast. The two blotches on the neck are very conspicuous and dark in color. They have a gray or dull white colored border on the posterior. The back of the body is covered with pointed scales. The cranial spines of the juveniles are less pronounced and shorter, and resemble the adult. The Desert horned lizard has wide based horns. This is not true with the short horned lizard which is of the same genus. These lizards, after mating during spring, in the months of June & July, lay 2 to 6 eggs. They hatch somewhere in the months of August. The incubation period is 50 to 60 days. They attain maturity at around 22 months of age. These species are normally gentle in nature, but when you hold them, they attempt to push their cranial spines into your hands. When thrilled, they bloat themselves with air, just as the chuckwalla does, making them to appear larger. If you see them in a bush, they rush into the bush, trying to conceal themselves from their predator. When some predator bullies them, they hiss (but rarely) as a warning of biting. These reptiles squirt blood from their eyes to a distance of 5 feet.