Coast Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma blainvillii
Photo: Ivan Parr
Introduction
Status
Ecological Requirements
RCIS Regions: Monterey Bay Coastline, Inner Coast Range, Mid-Inner Coast Range, Outer Coast Range
RCIS Natural Communities: Coastal Dune, Coastal Scrub, Mixed Chaparral, Montane Chaparral (CDFW 2020)
Found in open areas, especially sandy areas, washes, floodplains, and wind-blown deposits with scattered low shrubs (CDFW 2000a, 2020)
Hibernation: Burrows into the soil under surface objects such as logs or rocks, in mammal burrows, or in crevices during fall and winter months (CDFW 2000a)
Feeds primarily on native ant species, whose populations are threatened by non-native invasive Argentine ants (CDFW 2020).
Full species account available: Blainville’s Horned Lizard Life History Account (CDFW 2000a)
RCIS Conservation Target: Moderate (not listed; steep declines in Monterey County)
Associated Non-Focal Species
Range and Modeled Habitat
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
Coast horned lizard (CHL) is at “neutral risk” from climate change across the state, based on the likely persistence of current populations through 2050 and the amount of currently climatically suitable habitat likely to remain suitable (Wright et al. (2013). Projections indicate that in 2050, more than 80 percent of the species current distribution will remain and no greater than a 20 percent change in available suitable habitat will occur under low and high emission scenarios. Most of the climatically suitable habitat in the RCIS area is likely to remain suitable in 2050. Despite these projections, non-climate pressures still threaten coast horned lizard.
Conservation Strategies
Coast Horned Lizard Goals, Objectives, and Actions
There are 22 proposed actions. For complete goals, objectives and actions explanations see the complete table of conservation strategies in the RCIS PDF.
Species Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal CHL 1
Promote persistence of coast horned lizard populations in the RCIS area through protection, restoration, and enhancement of habitat.Objective CHL 1.2
Enhance occupied and suitable coast horned lizard habitat throughout the RCIS area. Measure progress towards achieving this objective in acres of habitat and adjacent/equivalent acres enhanced and occupied by coast horned lizard.Action CHL 1.2.1
Prevent the invasion and spread of Argentine ants into occupied habitat by controlling soil moisture (e.g., drainage runoff, revegetation, irrigation, etc.)
Objective CHL 1.3
Restore occupied and suitable coast horned lizard habitat throughout the RCIS area. Measure progress toward achieving this objective in acres of habitat and adjacent/equivalent acres restored and occupied by coast horned lizard.Action CHL 1.3.1
Restore suitable sandy and open habitats.
Regional Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal RC 1
Sustain resilient, connected natural communities for the full range of native species, habitats, and ecological functions in the RCIS area through the protection of large blocks of continuous habitat supporting sensitive species.Objective RC 1.1
Protect and preserve existing intact non-marine habitats and resources and allow for expansion of habitat by protecting suitable or occupied habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of acres of habitat and adjacent/associated acres protected.Action RC 1.1.1
Acquire parcels with suitable habitat through fee title purchase or conservation easement.
Action RC 1.1.2
Conduct surveys using eDNA and/or traditional survey methods in suitable or potentially suitable habitat to locate undocumented occurrences of focal species and other conservation elements and opportunities for habitat protection, enhancement, restoration, and creation (USFWS 2008).
Action RC 1.1.3
Create and sustain long-term funding for protected areas maintenance.
Action RC 1.1.4
Establish an incentive program for private landowners to protect occurrences and manage habitat.
Action RC 1.1.5
Protect populations from impacts from construction, vegetation management, and/or activities, including by surveying areas such as roads/trails and implementing species protection measures.
Objective RC 1.2
Enhance occupied and suitable habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by number of acres of habitat enhanced and/or occupied.Action RC 1.2.1
Manage current and future recreation access including off-road vehicles, biking, equestrian, foot traffic, and unleashed pets to reduce impacts and disturbance to sensitive species and habitats. Ensure recreation is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Enforcement and fencing may be used to prevent illegal off-road vehicle use (USFWS 2010).
Action RC 1.2.10
Work with private landowners and stakeholders to research species biology, threats, populations, densities, and/or ranges.
Action RC 1.2.11
Create/enhance connections between ecologically required habitat types, such as between aquatic breeding and upland dispersal habitats.
Action RC 1.2.2
Control non-native invasive species from occupied and/or suitable habitat, and areas designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as critical habitat throughout the RCIS area.
Action RC 1.2.3
Reduce/eliminate pesticide, rodenticide (especially first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides), and herbicide use, including for roadside vegetation removal projects as part of integrated pest management efforts in identified suitable habitat, and sensitive natural communities. Promote alternative pest reduction methods, such as promoting natural predator populations (Ventura County Public Works Agency 2017).
Action RC 1.2.4
Minimize impacts from native and non-native predator populations that have increased due to anthropogenic factors, including through educational outreach and trainings on how to safely coexist with native predators and predator removal programs where appropriate.
Action RC 1.2.5
Reduce anthropogenic impacts on habitat, including infrastructure construction and maintenance, inappropriate grazing, uncontrolled grazing, or overgrazing, off-road vehicles, foot traffic, fire suppression, recreational development and activities, non-native plants, and sand mining
Action RC 1.2.6
Manage infrastructure construction and maintenance projects, including transportation, solar energy facilities and projects on military properties, to be compatible for sensitive species.
Action RC 1.2.7
Manage grazing, including the installation of wildlife-friendly fencing, to ensure it is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Grazing in sensitive natural communities, public lands should be reduced.
Action RC 1.2.8
Reduce trash dumping in areas with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences.
Action RC 1.2.9
Enhance and restore native vegetation in occupied habitat and suitable but unoccupied habitat.
Goal RC 2
Promote persistence of species and important natural communities through the establishment and improvement of habitat connectivity in the RCIS area.Objective RC 2.1
Establish and improve habitat connectivity between large blocks of suitable habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of improved connectivity corridors used by sensitive species.Action RC 2.1.1
Install, repair, and improve infrastructure, such as adding large culverts, under crossings, overcrossings, bridges, directional fencing, scuppers, barrier breaks, roadside animal detection systems, sound barriers, limiting lighting at constructed or natural linkages and remove existing barriers to promote wildlife movement and reduce road mortality (Yap and Rose 2019). Focus on areas with high numbers of vehicle-related mortality, areas with high Area of Conservation Emphasis Terrestrial Connectivity rankings and include areas to create corridor redundancy.
Action RC 2.1.2
Enhance habitat on either side of crossing structures, including protecting adjacent areas, restricting human activity nearby, etc.
Action RC 2.1.3
Create and sustain long-term funding for long-term management of crossings, including acquisition and maintenance of adjacent habitat where suitable.
Action RC 2.1.4
Work with transportation districts or others to collect and analyze roadkill data to identify hotspots where mortality occurs to inform the design of wildlife crossing infrastructure improvements (Yap and Rose 2019).