Regal Horned Lizard

The Regal Horned Lizard primarily inhabits the Sonoran Desert, stretching from central Arizona southward into northern Sinaloa, Mexico. Its range extends westward to Arizona’s Harquahala and Plomosa Mountains and eastward into extreme southwestern New Mexico, particularly around Guadalupe Canyon. It is also found on Tiburón Island in the Gulf of California. This species typically resides from near sea level up to about 4,800 feet (1,460 meters) in elevation. This lizard favors gravelly and rocky soils across valleys, bajadas, low mountain slopes, and foothills within arid and semi-arid regions. It is most common within Arizona Upland Sonoran Desertscrub, Chihuahuan Desertscrub, and Semidesert Grassland habitats. It is generally found in open, sunny patches among sparse shrubs such as mesquite, creosote bush, and cacti like saguaros, avoiding sandy flats and areas heavily populated by other horned lizard species. The Regal Horned Lizard is primarily diurnal but adjusts its daily activity depending on the season, becoming most active during mornings and evenings in the warmer months. During winter, it enters a state of dormancy, sheltering under debris or burrowing into loose soil to escape freezing temperatures. When threatened, it can squirt blood from its eyes, a defense believed to deter predators by its taste. Additional behaviors include inflating its body by gulping air to appear larger and using its horns for defense. Its diet centers heavily on harvester ants, which it captures with a sticky tongue and swallows whole, the prey coated in mucus to neutralize stings. While ants are its main food source, the Regal Horned Lizard occasionally consumes beetles and other small insects. Breeding occurs in the summer, during which males can travel significant distances daily in search of mates. Females lay a single clutch—sometimes two—of up to 33 eggs, typically deposited in July or August. The eggs are laid at the end of a tunnel approximately 14 inches long, dug into loose soil. After laying, females may guard the nest site for up to two weeks, defending it from predators such as egg-eating snakes. Incubation lasts between 5 to 9 weeks before hatchlings emerge. The Regal Horned Lizard's specialized adaptations, from its cryptic coloration to its unique blood-squirting defense, highlight its remarkable evolution to thrive in harsh desert environments. Despite its fierce appearance, it is a shy and relatively slow-moving lizard, relying more on camouflage and passive defenses than speed to survive.