(Phrynosoma), a genus of lizards of the family Iguanidae. The body somewhat resembles a toad’s. The short angular head is framed on the sides and the back by large, horny spines. There are approximately 15 species, distributed in North America and Mexico. A typical representative of the genus is the Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum), length 11–13 cm. Members of the genus live in desert and semidesert plains and plateaus with sandy, silt, or broken rock soil. Horned toads bury themselves by means of sideward body movements, as do members of the genus Phrynocephalus. They feed mainly on insects. The females bear the eggs until the moment when the young hatch out (ovoviviparous).