Phrynosoma hernandesi
Silhouette: Caleb M. Gordon · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The greater short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi), also commonly known as the mountain short-horned lizard or Hernández's short-horned lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is 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 five native species of lizards in Canada.
The genus Phrynosoma, means toad-bodied. 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 the most widely distributed horned lizard in North America and occurs in the widest range of habitats: West into central Nevada, east into North and South Dakota, north to southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, and then south into eastern New Mexico to central Mexico, with a few pockets in Trans-Pecos Texas. This species of lizard is mostly an arid mountain dweller living in the range of 900–11,300 feet (170–3440 m). It is the only member of its genus in Wyoming, which counts... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Short-horned Lizard sighting in Saguaro National Park on a given day, based on 39 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 28th most-seen of the 51 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Short-horned Lizard in Saguaro National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June and November–February, the lowest months. That is one of Saguaro National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 55 mm in July.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Greater Short-horned Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Greater Short-horned Lizard sightings, Saguaro National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Grand Canyon National Park (United States, about 30%), Zion National Park (United States, about 30%) and Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Greater Short-horned Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Saguaro National Park (39 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.
