Sunwatcher Toadhead Agama

The sunwatcher toadhead agama is a small, flattened desert lizard with a broad rounded head, short neck and granular scales. Its sandy or grey-brown back bears irregular darker markings, while the tail is cross-banded and may curl upward during displays. Unlike rock agamas it lacks a strongly spiny body and spends much of its time on open ground. Colour can change with temperature and arousal, so pattern and proportions are more reliable than shade alone. (Wikipedia, Phrynocephalus helioscopus account)

The species occupies open arid steppe, clay flats and stony or sandy desert across Eurasia, including Mongolia. Active by day, it basks in exposed positions and runs rapidly to shallow burrows or vegetation when disturbed. Small insects and other invertebrates make up most of the diet, and females lay eggs in warm soil. The opened general account did not provide a named Mongolian locality or country-specific seasonal schedule; no viewing recommendation is therefore added. (Wikipedia, Phrynocephalus helioscopus account)