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My Native California

San Diego horned lizard

The San Diego horned lizard (Phyrnosoma coronatum blainvillii) is a Federal Species of Special Concern impacted heavily by housing development in coastal southern California and prior to that by the curio trade, where lizards were collected, stuffed, shellacked and mounted for sale to tourists.

This lizard takes refuge under native doveweed (Eremocarpus setigerus) at Miramar Naval Air Station, where the lizards match the brick red color of the clay soil. From these hiding places, the lizards ambush passing harvester ants. The military bases of southern California are often an asset to native wildlife, limiting operations to relatively small areas while restricting access to large tracts of wilderness.