Greater short-horned lizard Greater short-horned lizard The greater short-horned lizard ("Phrynosoma hernandesi"), also commonly known as the mountain short-horned lizard, is a species of lizard endemic to western North America. Like other horned lizards, it is often called a "horned toad" or "horny toad", but it is not a toad at all. It is a reptile, not an amphibian. It is one of seven native species of lizards in Canada. The specific name, "hernandesi", honors Francisco Hernández (1514–1587) a Spanish physician who wrote an early account of a horned lizard, which was published in 1615. The greater short-horned lizard is often mistaken for
Wyoming toad County Wyoming Toad Task Force in order to protect the Wyoming toad. The committee started taking toads into captivity for reproduction, but the group and the reproduction plans were only in the works for two years. After the group discontinued, the IUCN stepped in to save the toad. The IUCN ran field studies, captive breeding plans, and tests on what diseases the toads held that may be causing mortality. Through field notes, researchers Withers and Corn (2005) discovered that Wyoming toads tend to mature earlier than other amphibians in their surrounding habitat. The scientists discovered that the average Wyoming toad