BC Conservation Data Centre: Conservation Status Report
Phrynosoma douglasii
Pygmy Short-horned Lizard
| Scientific Name: | Phrynosoma douglasii |
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| English Name: | Pygmy Short-horned Lizard |
| Provincial Status Summary | |
| Status: | SX |
| Date Status Assigned: | September 23, 2000 |
| Date Last Reviewed: | March 26, 2025 |
| Reasons: | This species is presumed extirpated from British Columbia. It is known from one collection record in 1898 and without confirmed observations since 1957. The remaining habitat is threatened by extensive development and intense agriculture. |
| Range | |
| Range Extent: | Z = 0 (Zero) |
| Range Extent Comments: | Formerly restricted to the southern Okanagan Valley and perhaps the southern Similkameen Valley, 100-250 square kilometres (Gregory and Campbell 1984; Powell and Russell 1992). There are records in similar habitat less than 70 km south of the BC border (iNaturalist; accessed 5 January 2025). |
| Area of Occupancy (km2): | Z = 0 |
| Occurrences & Population | |
| Number of Occurrences: | Z = 0 (zero) |
| Comments: | No occurrences believed to be extant. The first record of the Pygmy Short-horned Lizard in Canada is from one collection of two individuals captured at Osoyoos in approximately 1898 (Fannin 1898). The precise site is unknown and probably under fruit production today. An apparent valid record in 1937 was also made from the Osoyoos region, again without details (Powell and Russell 1998). Recently a detailed record of an observation made in 1957 northeast of Osoyoos has been noted (Ryder et al. 2006). There is also an unconfirmed record from Chopaka in the south Similkameen during the 1980's (M. Sarell, pers. comm.), and several unconfirmed sight records from southeast of Oliver in the last thirty years (O. Dyer, pers. comm.). The most recent anecdotal observation reported by a member of the public was in 2004 (COSEWIC 2007). |
| Number of Occurrences with Good Viability / Ecological Integrity: | A = None (zero) |
| Comments: | No occurrences believed to be extant. |
| Number of Occurrences Appropriately Protected & Managed: | A = None |
| Comments: | No occurrences believed to be extant. Precise collection site of earlier records unknown, but probably not protected. Some suitable habitat still appears to exist for this species and some of this habitat is currently protected (COSEWIC 2007). |
| Population Size: | Z = Zero, no individuals known extant |
| Comments: |
Unknown, presumed extirpated. In 1991, a 10-day survey on the east side of Osoyoos Lake resulted in no lizards being found. In 2003 and 2004 surveys at selected sites in suitable habitat also resulted in no lizards being found. Status re-assessed in April 2007 by COSEWIC and assigned a status of extirpated (COSEWIC 2007). |
| Threats (to population, occurrences, or area affected) | |
| Degree of Threat: | AB = Very high - high |
| Comments: | If it is still extant in B.C., threats are substantial. Dry, shrub-steppe habitat imperiled by urban and intensive agricultural development. Other threats include road mortality and increased predation by native and exotic animals, as well as lack of rescue effect (COSEWIC 2007). |
| Trend (in population, range, area occupied, and/or condition of occurrences) | |
| Short-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Comments: | If it is still extant in B.C., recent habitat losses would probably result in declines. |
| Long-Term Trend: | A = Decline of >90% |
| Comments: | Only known from 2-3 locations,from which they now appear extirpated. |
| Other Factors | |
| Intrinsic Vulnerability: | C=Not intrinsically vulnerable |
| Comments: | Pygmy Short-horned Lizards give birth up to 15 live young and females reach sexual maturity usually in their third year. Known to live at least five years in the wild. Dispersal capabilities are not known (COSEWIC 2007). |
| Environmental Specificity: | B=Narrow. Specialist or community with key requirements common. |
| Comments: | Horned lizards eat terrestrial invertebrates. They are dietary specialists, feeding primarily on ants (up to 50%) with a preference for harvester ants. They are not very adaptable to changes to their environment and are limited to arid environments. The amount of suitable native grasslands available is declining (COSEWIC 2007). |
| Other Rank Considerations: | Rescue effects from outside populations not likely (COSEWIC 2007). However, there are records in similar habitat less than 70 km south of the BC border (iNaturalist ND; accessed 5 January 2025). |
| Information Gaps | |
| Research Needs: | |
| Inventory Needs: | Searches should continue in appropriate habitat in southern Okanagan and Similkameen valleys. This species should be looked for during inventories for other arid habitat species as well. |
| Stewardship | |
| Protection: | |
| Management: | |
| Version | |
| Author: | L. Westereng, L. Ramsay and S. Cannings |
| Date: | January 06, 2025 |
| References | |
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COSEWIC. 2007. COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the Pygmy Short-horned Lizard Phrynosoma douglasii in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa.
vi + 24 pp. (www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm). |
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Fannin, J. 1898. A preliminary catalogue of the collections on natural history and ethnology in the Provincial Museum, Victoria, British Columbia. British Columbia Provincial Museum, Victoria, BC. 196pp.
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Gregory, L.A., and P.T. Gregory. 1999. The Reptiles of British Columbia, A taxonomic catalogue. B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, Victoria. Wildl. Bull. B-88. 28pp.
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Gregory, P.T., and R.W. Campbell. 1984. The Reptiles of British Columbia. Royal B.C. Mus. Handb. 102pp.
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Hammerson, G. A., and H. M. Smith. 1991. The correct spelling of the name of the short-horned lizard of North America. Bull. Maryland Herp. Soc. 27(3):121-127.
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iNaturalist community. 2025d. Observations of Phrynosoma douglasii from British Columbia, Canada. Exported from www.inaturalist.org on 5 January 2025.
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Powell, G.L. and A.P. Russel. 1998. The status of Short-horned Lizards, Phrynosoma douglasi and P. hernandezi, in Canada. Can. Field-Nat. 112(1):1-16.
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Powell, G.L., and A.P. Russell. 1992. Status report on the Short-horned Lizard, Phrynosoma douglassi, in Canada. Unpubl. rep. submitted to the Comm. on the Status of Endangered Wildl. in Can., Ottawa, ON.
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Ryder, G. R., R. Wayne Campbell and G. Lawrence Powell. 2006. A noteworthy record of the pigmy short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma douglasii) for British Columbia. Wildlife Afield. 3(1):11-14.
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Zamudio, K. R., K. B. Jones, and R. H. Ward. 1997. Molecular systematics of short-horned lizards: biogeography and taxonomy of a widespread species complex. Systematic Biology 46:284-305.
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for information on how the CDC determines conservation status ranks. For global conservation status reports and ranks, please visit the NatureServe website http://www.natureserve.org/.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2025. Conservation Status Report: Phrynosoma douglasii. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 9, 2026).