Mexican beaded lizard generic name "Heloderma" means "studded skin", from the Ancient Greek words "hêlos" (ἧλος)—the head of a nail or stud—and "dérma" (δέρμα), meaning skin. Its specific name, "horrĭdum", is the Latin word meaning rough or rude. The four subspecies of beaded lizard, elevated to full species in 2013, are: Adult beaded lizards range from in length. They are substantially larger than the Gila monster, which only reaches lengths of . The snout-to-vent length of a beaded lizard averages . The average body mass of an adult beaded lizard is , about 45% heavier than the average mass of a gila monster,
Mexican Plateau horned lizard wide range of primary (dry scrubland, pine-oak forest, oak forest, juniper forest) and secondary habitats (agricultural land, and agave and "Opuntia" fields). Five subspecies of "P. orbiculare" are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. "Nota bene": A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than "Phrynosoma". The subspecific name, "cortezii", is in honor of Spanish "conquistador" Hernán Cortés. The subspecific name, "dugesii", is in honor of French-born Mexican naturalist Alfredo Dugès, who is considered the "father" of Mexican herpetology. Mexican Plateau horned lizard The Mexican Plateau horned lizard (Phrynosoma orbiculare)