Identificaciones de victoriaapaldetti

My first sighting of the magnificent Blainville's Horned Lizard. Moved off trail to prevent bike riders runnning over it.

Link to closeup of sweet face, photo credit Gary Nafis: https://californiaherps.com/lizards/images/pcoronatumsd5082.jpg
Link to confirmed observation showing spotted underside: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/128403054
Link to my favorite closeup view: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49844521

Blainville's Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma blainvillii) a.k.a San Diego Horned Lizard, is a species of phrynosomatid lizard native to southern and central California and northern Baja California in Mexico.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable (S3S4) in California, US (NatureServe). Their range has been severely fragmented due to urbanization and habitat loss.
Description: Adults are 2.5 - 4.5 inches long from snout to vent (6.3 - 11.4 cm). It is a flat-bodied lizard with a wide oval-shaped body, scattered enlarged pointed scales on the upper body and tail, and a large crown of horns or spines on the head. The two center horns are the longest. Males have enlarged postanal scales and a swollen tail base during the breeding season. Each side of the body has two rows of pointed fringe scales. Each side of the throat has two or three rows of enlarged pointed scales. Females are larger in size than males.
Color and Pattern: Color is reddish-brown, yellow, or gray, with dark blotches on the back and large dark spots on the sides of the neck. The belly is cream, beige, or yellow, usually with dark spots, and the belly scales are smooth.
Activity: Diurnal. Active during periods of warm weather, retreating underground and becoming inactive during extended periods of low temperatures or extreme heat.
Diet and Feeding: Eats mainly ants, especially harvester ants, but also consumes other small invertebrates such as spiders, beetles, termites, flies, honeybees, moth larvae, and grasshoppers.

Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California: http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/pages/p.blainvillii.html

Adult resting near Pacific Crest Trail, south of Highway 74.

Link to closeup of sweet face, photo credit Gary Nafis: https://californiaherps.com/lizards/images/pcoronatumsd5082.jpg
Link to confirmed observation showing spotted underside: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/128403054
Link to my favorite closeup view: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49844521

Blainville's Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma blainvillii) a.k.a San Diego Horned Lizard, is a species of phrynosomatid lizard native to southern and central California and northern Baja California in Mexico.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable (S3S4) in California, US (NatureServe). Their range has been severely fragmented due to urbanization and habitat loss.
Description: Adults are 2.5 - 4.5 inches long from snout to vent (6.3 - 11.4 cm). It is a flat-bodied lizard with a wide oval-shaped body, scattered enlarged pointed scales on the upper body and tail, and a large crown of horns or spines on the head. The two center horns are the longest. Males have enlarged postanal scales and a swollen tail base during the breeding season. Each side of the body has two rows of pointed fringe scales. Each side of the throat has two or three rows of enlarged pointed scales. Females are larger in size than males.
Color and Pattern: Color is reddish-brown, yellow, or gray, with dark blotches on the back and large dark spots on the sides of the neck. The belly is cream, beige, or yellow, usually with dark spots, and the belly scales are smooth.
Activity: Diurnal. Active during periods of warm weather, retreating underground and becoming inactive during extended periods of low temperatures or extreme heat.
Diet and Feeding: Eats mainly ants, especially harvester ants, but also consumes other small invertebrates such as spiders, beetles, termites, flies, honeybees, moth larvae, and grasshoppers.

Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California: http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/pages/p.blainvillii.html

Adult, approx. 4 in, resting near side of trail.

Link to closeup of sweet face, photo credit Gary Nafis: https://californiaherps.com/lizards/images/pcoronatumsd5082.jpg
Link to confirmed observation showing spotted underside: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/128403054
Link to my favorite closeup view: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49844521

Blainville's Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma blainvillii) a.k.a San Diego Horned Lizard, is a species of phrynosomatid lizard native to southern and central California and northern Baja California in Mexico.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable (S3S4) in California, US (NatureServe). Their range has been severely fragmented due to urbanization and habitat loss.
Description: Adults are 2.5 - 4.5 inches long from snout to vent (6.3 - 11.4 cm). It is a flat-bodied lizard with a wide oval-shaped body, scattered enlarged pointed scales on the upper body and tail, and a large crown of horns or spines on the head. The two center horns are the longest. Males have enlarged postanal scales and a swollen tail base during the breeding season. Each side of the body has two rows of pointed fringe scales. Each side of the throat has two or three rows of enlarged pointed scales. Females are larger in size than males.
Color and Pattern: Color is reddish-brown, yellow, or gray, with dark blotches on the back and large dark spots on the sides of the neck. The belly is cream, beige, or yellow, usually with dark spots, and the belly scales are smooth.
Activity: Diurnal. Active during periods of warm weather, retreating underground and becoming inactive during extended periods of low temperatures or extreme heat.
Diet and Feeding: Eats mainly ants, especially harvester ants, but also consumes other small invertebrates such as spiders, beetles, termites, flies, honeybees, moth larvae, and grasshoppers.

Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California: http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/pages/p.blainvillii.html

Juvenile, approx. 1.5 inch long running across the trail. It stopped for 2 seconds for snapshot.

Link to closeup of sweet face, photo credit Gary Nafis: https://californiaherps.com/lizards/images/pcoronatumsd5082.jpg
Link to confirmed observation showing spotted underside: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/128403054
Link to my favorite closeup view: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49844521

Blainville's Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma blainvillii) a.k.a San Diego Horned Lizard, is a species of phrynosomatid lizard native to southern and central California and northern Baja California in Mexico.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable (S3S4) in California, US (NatureServe). Their range has been severely fragmented due to urbanization and habitat loss.
Description: Adults are 2.5 - 4.5 inches long from snout to vent (6.3 - 11.4 cm). It is a flat-bodied lizard with a wide oval-shaped body, scattered enlarged pointed scales on the upper body and tail, and a large crown of horns or spines on the head. The two center horns are the longest. Males have enlarged postanal scales and a swollen tail base during the breeding season. Each side of the body has two rows of pointed fringe scales. Each side of the throat has two or three rows of enlarged pointed scales. Females are larger in size than males.
Color and Pattern: Color is reddish-brown, yellow, or gray, with dark blotches on the back and large dark spots on the sides of the neck. The belly is cream, beige, or yellow, usually with dark spots, and the belly scales are smooth.
Activity: Diurnal. Active during periods of warm weather, retreating underground and becoming inactive during extended periods of low temperatures or extreme heat.
Diet and Feeding: Eats mainly ants, especially harvester ants, but also consumes other small invertebrates such as spiders, beetles, termites, flies, honeybees, moth larvae, and grasshoppers.

Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California: http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/pages/p.blainvillii.html