Horned lizard Horned lizard Horned lizards (Phrynosoma), also known as horny toads or horntoads, are a genus of North American lizards and the type genus of the family Phrynosomatidae. The common names refer directly to their flattened, rounded body and blunt snout. The genus name "Phrynosoma" means "toad-bodied". In common with large true frogs and toads, horned lizards tend to move sluggishly, making them easy to catch; this may also avoid triggering attacks by predators. They are adapted to arid or semi-arid areas. The spines on the lizard's back and sides are made from modified reptile scales which prevent the water loss
Golden toad led bachelors to attack amplectant pairs and form what has been described as a "writhing masses of toad balls". During the 1977 and 1982 seasons, males outnumbered females by over 8 to 1 at breeding pools. Each toad couple produced 200–400 eggs each week for the six-week mating period, with each egg approximately 3 mm in diameter. The eggs of the golden toad, black and tan spheres, were deposited in small pools often no more than one-inch deep. Tadpoles emerged in a matter of days, but required another four or five weeks for metamorphosis. During this period, they were highly