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Definition of short-horned lizard

short-horned lizard

Plural:short-horned lizards
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• noun

1

North American A small, flat-bodied, squat lizard of the genus Phrynosoma, native to the western regions of North America, distinguished by its exceptionally short crown scales and its unique defensive ability to squirt blood from its eyes.

Example

"While hiking through the high deserts of Utah, the biologist carefully photographed a well-camouflaged short-horned lizard resting on a sunbaked rock."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for short-horned lizard

Word Nuance & Usage

Often colloquially referred to as a 'horny toad' or 'horned frog' in regional North American dialects, which can create confusion as the animal is entirely reptilian, not an amphibian.

• Nearby Words

shoring
short
short-beaked echidna
short-horned lizard
short-snouted sea snake
short-tailed snake
shortage

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Short-horned lizard. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/short--horned-lizard
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