This is a young Desert Horned Lizard -Phrynosoma platyrhinos. I had spent the afternoon hiking, taking pictures of desert wildflowers, cactis, insects and pretty much anything else of interest while waiting for sunset, dark and the Milky Way to come out and play.

This is the second horned lizard I've seen in 18 years of being in Utah. They're not super rare, just great at camouflage and living out in the desert wilderness. You have to keep a sharp eye out to find them. This one just happened to move when approached so I carefully picked it up, took a few pics and sent it on its way. It was very calm though puffed up with air. I think it appreciated the warmth of my hand for the couple of minutes I held it.

Google Pixel 5 cell phone

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