Phrynosoma cornutum
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~80%
The Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) is one of about 21 North American species of spikey-bodied reptiles called horned lizards, all belonging the genus Phrynosoma. It occurs in south-central regions of the US and northeastern Mexico, as well as several isolated introduced records and populations from Southern United States. Though some populations are stable, severe population declines have occurred in many areas of Texas and Oklahoma. The Texas spiny lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus) may be confused for a Texas horned lizard due to its appearance and overlapping habitat. Texas horned lizard populations show strong genetic structuring across their range, with limited gene flow between regions. Because the Texas horned lizard is listed as a threatened species in the state, it is illegal to pick up, touch, or possess them in Texas.
The horned lizard is popularly called a "horned toad", "horny toad", or "horned frog", but it is neither a toad nor a frog. The popular names come from the lizard's rounded body and blunt snout, which give it a decidedly batrachian appearance. Phrynosoma literally means "toad-bodied" and cornutum means "horned". The lizard's horns are... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoo Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Dallas Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Berlin Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | ABQ BioPark Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | El Paso Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Amarillo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Recreativo San Jorge | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 10 | Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Aquarium Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Texas Horned Lizard sighting in Guadalupe Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 21 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and September
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Texas Horned Lizard in Guadalupe Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, August and November–February, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Texas Horned Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Only Guadalupe Mountains National Park, in our data
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Texas Horned Lizard sightings: about 20% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same genus: Phrynosoma
The closest relatives of the Texas Horned Lizard that you can see in Guadalupe Mountains National Park (genus Phrynosoma, Horned Lizards) are Roundtail Horned Lizard (about 30%) and Greater Short-horned Lizard (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Texas Horned Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Guadalupe Mountains National Park (17 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
