Pygmy short-horned lizard Pygmy short-horned lizard The pygmy short-horned lizard ("Phrynosoma douglasii") is a species of small horned lizard that occurs in the northwestern United States. In the past it also occurred in adjacent Canada. 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. The specific name, "douglasii", is in honor of Scottish botanist David Douglas. The pygmy short-horned lizard is often mistaken for its close relative the greater short-horned lizard ("P. hernandesi" ) which has the same basic body type consisting of
California toad California toad The California toad ("Anaxyrus boreas halophilus") is a subspecies of the western toad, along with the boreal toad. The California toad lives throughout the State of California, with the exception of south-eastern desert regions. Like the boreal toad, it feeds on a wide variety of insects and invertebrates. Its diet includes grasshoppers, beetles, flies, and mosquitos. The scientific name is "Anaxyrus boreas halophilus". Boreas is from the Greek word "boreas" which means “north wind” or “northern”, "halophilus" from the Greek "halos" meaning “sea” or “salt”, and "philos" meaning “having affinity for”. The California toad is less blotched (reduced