B. Beauchamp et al., HABITAT USE OF THE FLAT-TAILED HORNED LIZARD (PHRYNOSOMA-MCALLII) IN A DISTURBED ENVIRONMENT, Journal of herpetology, 32(2), 1998, pp. 210-216
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.