HABITAT USE OF THE FLAT-TAILED HORNED LIZARD (PHRYNOSOMA-MCALLII) IN A DISTURBED ENVIRONMENT

The habitat of the flat-tailed horned lizard (Phrynosoma mcallii) is u sually described as desert flats with fine, aeolian sand, at the edges of or away from dunes. At Ocotillo Wells State Vehicle Recreation Are a the highest densities of P. mcallii were correlated with sparsely ve getated gravelly habitats and mud hills. These findings suggest that e ither P. mcallii has shifted or dispersed to other habitats as a resul t of off-highway vehicle activity in sandy areas, or that the species has wider habitat preferences than previously described. No apparent c orrelation existed between lizard and seat densities suggesting that s eats may not be a reliable indicator of lizard abundance and distribut ion in this population.