Short-tailed Horned Lizard Phrynosoma braconnieri

Short-tailed Horned Lizard
Short-tailed Horned Lizard
Short-tailed Horned Lizard
The Short-tailed Horned Lizard sometimes has a very short tail, sometimes a tail stump about the same size and shape as its head, and sometimes it seems to have no tail. Together with its cryptic colouring, it makes it difficult for predators to see it and to know which end is which. It is endemic to Mexico and grows to a maximum of some 10cm (4 inches) long, but usually less.
It and the others in the genus are sometimes called horned toads - wrongly, but you can see why. The scientific name for the genus is from the Greek for toad (as it is for the toad-headed agamas).