The Texas horned lizard is one of about 14 North American species of spikey-bodied reptiles called horned lizards. It occurs in south-central regions of the US and northeastern Mexico, as well as several isolated introduced records and populations from the Southern United States. The horned lizard is popularly called a "horned toad", "horny toad", or "horned frog", but it is neither a toad nor a frog. The popular names come from the lizard's rounded body and blunt snout, which give it a decidedly amphibious appearance. The lizard's horns are extensions of its cranium and contain true bone.