Phrynocephalus horvathi is a small diurnal desert lizard in the family Agamidae.

The phylogeny within the genus Phrynocephalus is not well understood and has been the subject of recent revisions.

There is a crest, consisting of a row of nine thornlike scales, along the middle line of neck.

[4] P. horvathi occurs in several isolated populations the valley of the Aras River in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, at elevations of up to 500 m. Like P. persicus, this species prefers vegetation patches on loose sandy soils in semi-deserts, but can also be found on traditional arable land.

[1] The species is categorized as "critically endangered" due to its fragmented range, small populations and some 80 percent of its habitat having been lost over the past three generations (12 years) to the spread of agriculture and urbanization.