[3] This species of lizard has a distinctive flat body with one row of fringe scales down the sides.

They have two dark blotches on the neck that are very prominent and are bordered posteriorly by a light white or grey color.

Unlike other horned lizards, Phrynosoma platyrhinos individuals do not have a prominent dorsal stripe.

The most common species in the Arizona Upland subdivision is the regal horned lizard (P. solare), which frequents rocky or gravelly habitats of arid to semiarid plains, hills and lower mountain slopes.

These lizards can generally be found in areas with desert climates throughout western North America.

Phrynosoma platyrhinos has experienced some changes after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) which ended approximately 21,000 years ago.

At the end of the LGM P. platyrhinos was able to expand north into the Great Basin, which is now part of their current geographical range.

When rain-harvesting the lizard adopts specific posture in order to get its mouth closer to the ground.

Iguanid displays are usually used to assert a social structure or for aggression and courtship, and can present in a variety of different behaviors such as: push ups, bobbing of the head, tail movements, along with changes in posture.