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
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