• limited to extreme southeastern corner of the province; primarily along river canyons of Milk River and South Saskatchewan River.

Brief Description

• moderately small; body flattened and somewhat oval; short limbs and tail; head with small horn-like scales; females larger than males.

Habitat

• margins og canyons, rocky outcrops, and adjacent sandy areas; overwintering in cracks and crevices in rock.

Feeding

• diurnal, sit-&-wait predator; insectivorous - chiefly beetles and ants, some grasshopers.

Reproduction

• mating in Spring; viviparous; up to 10 youngs born in late June or early July.

Status in Alberta

• BLUE LIST

• rare; localized populations; population trend not known

Other Internet Resources

• Mountain Short-horned Lizard

• Phrynosoma douglassi : Endangered Species in Endangered Spaces, Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, BC, Canada

• Phrynosoma douglassi : Reptiles and Amphibians of North Dakota, Northern Prairie Science Center, Jamestown, ND, USA

References

• Anonymous. 1996. The status of Alberta wildlife. Wildlife Management Division Report. Alberta Environmental Protection, Govertment of Alberta.

• Russell, A. P., and A. M. Bauer. in press. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Alberta: A Field Guide and Primer of Boreal Herpetology. University of Calgary Press. 2nd Edition.