Greater Short-horned Lizard

Lewis and Clark encountered the short-horned lizard (which they called “horned toad” or “horned lizard”) in present-day Missouri as early as May 1804. One specimen was collected and sent back to President Jefferson with other natural history specimens on the keelboat in April 1805. This small, flat-bodied lizard with crown-like horns on its head was new to science and fascinated naturalists in the East.

Journal Excerpt

Lewis, May 31, 1804: "one of the men caught a large lizard… the body was flat and covered with horny scales, the head armed with short pointed spines like those of the horned snake. it appeared to be perfectly harmless."