Horned Lizards

From the deep desert of the Western Provinces come the Horned Lizards, these creatures are incredibly fast and nimble skittering across the desert and hiding under rocks and in natural caves. Catching one is a test of a Legionaries hunting prowess and their ability to be patient. As such those who have caught one are marked out for the scouting cadre of their legion.
The Animals themselves thrive in the desert area and are often kept in the camps as pets by Legionaries looking to stave off boredom. They are normally fed on a diet of insects and small vermin, fortunately for the Legion's these are abundant where there are Legion stores. Informally the Lizards also act as vermin catchers and control for them.
Some Legionaries have reported that they have been able to domesticate them and turn them into loving pets with many offerings of beetles and other small insects and some have been smuggled out of the Western Provinces as pets. However defying explanation, the further East the lizards are taken the more docile they become, this has led to many believing they need the harsh dry hot desert climate to survive. Indeed many that reach Lindum must be kept in heated rooms.
It is seen as a mark of status to have a 'hot room' usually with a sandy desert area with a lizard or two in as these rooms require constant under floor heating which is incredibly expensive to do. The current Emperor is said to have a dozen of these Lizards as pets, each gifted to him by Centurions on the Western Provinces looking to curry favor with him.

Scientific Name

Phrynosoma Cornutum