Posted on 02/02/2014 6:17:04 PM PST by patriot08
With a body covered in horns, resembling some prehistoric creature- and the demon-like ability to squirt blood from his eyes, the mere sight of the Texas horned lizard is enough to send most screaming and running in the opposite direction should they encounter him.
But most older Texans know his fierce appearance is all for show just to scare off predators. As children they used to catch and play with the lizards, for he is a gentle little creature who never bites and will go to sleep in your hand if you roll him over and rub his tummy.
This docile little creature is the state reptile of Texas and, as the "horned frog", is the mascot of Texas Christian University.
The Texas horned lizard is the largest and most abundant of the approximately 14 species of horned lizards in the western United States and Mexico. They can reach a length of 4-6 inches.
The lizards colors camouflage it against predators, and it can also puff itself up and protrude its many small body thorns making it difficult to swallow.
The Texas horned lizard also has the ability to squirt a stream of blood from its eyes for up to 5 feet. This not only frightens and confuses predators, but has a bad taste when predators such as wolves and coyotes try to eat it.
There has been a serious decline in the number of the lizards in recent years and it is illegal to take, possess, transport or sell them without a special permit. The decline is thought to be the result of overuse of pesticides and invading fire ants which destroy the harvester ants the lizards feed on.
When we first moved to AZ, I caught a tiny lizard in my storage room. I was surprised to hear it squeak. It was a gecko.
Thanks. Interesting.
Yeah, without just the right diet and temp, they’ll die.
Shame so many were rounded up prior to 1980 and sold to pet shops. You know they all died.
Shame.
That IS strange. Maybe it was somebody’s pet they let go or something. Never heard of them out there.
Cute little dudes. They weren’t just a Texas thing. Remember coming across them in southern Colorado. Very sociable for reptiles.
Haven’t seen one in the wild since the 1980s.
Is that a ‘Crawfish’ as we used to call them?
I remember as a kid looking for them in ditches and trying to get them out of their holes.
I didn’t like them too much. Looked like they’d pinch you good with those pinchers.
Haven’t seen one of those in many a moon. :)
I use to catch them things all the time as a kid.
Never scared me.
Thought they were beautiful.
Even thought scorpions were fun.
Mom would let us keep the horned toads and she would release the scorpions.
We found one and wanted to keep it as pet. We went to the local pet store to find out what we should feed it. The guy said that it would probably die in two weeks because they needed carpenter ants to live.
Once a month I would go up into the mountains with a picnic cooler and find a carpenter ant colony and shovel it into the cooler. The ants were just fine doing their ant thing in the cooler.
We would feed the horned toad aunts almost exclusively with an occasional grub treat.
He lived for 6 years with us. My wife still has him in a box.
We have fewer of them than when I was young, but they are still here. Saw one a while back.
But we have a bunch of new species of lizards that we never had before. That has happened over the past 10-15 years.
And the Curlews and Plovers are gone. But the Asian Doves are all over. They are big birds. Don’t see the native doves much. The Asian varieties stay all year, don’t migrate. And there is no closed season on them, they are not native birds.
Just wished the quail population would reverse. Not sure what is the problem there. I see some pairs, but seldom a covey. Think the extreme drought is the issue.
Thanks again for a wonderful thread.
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And thank you. Enjoyed your posts about little Jose.
I know how you can grow to love little guys like that.
I saw a story about Tx horned lizards on the ‘Texas Parks and Wildlife’ show this morning, and it just started me thinking about how we’re losing our Tx treasures like the horned lizard and the Texas box turtle or Tortoise.
Such a shame.
We visited a Tx safari type thing near Victoria a few years ago and they had a Tx tortoise in a small pen. It had eaten all the grass and vegetation in its pen..just bare dirt was all that was left.
When it saw us come up to the fence, it came up to us and I pulled some green vegetation and threw it in its pen. It started eating like it was starving. It just made me cry.
Thanks. Great story
We have Geckos here. Had not seen one here until past 6-8 years. Sort of like seeing them, they eat bugs.
At night I often see them on the glass of my front door. Light from inside draws insects, the Geckos will climb up to the glass and catch the insects. From time to time they will get in the house. Try to gently get them out.
Have seen some that must have hatched in the house. Were very tiny and almost translucent.
Nature is amazing.
Yeah. Geckos. That was the lizard I was trying to think of.
Lots of them around here. I guess they and the chameleons aren’t having any problems.
Don’t care for geckos.
The green chameleons are pretty (when they turn green- instead of brown :) - but the little buggers will sure try to bite you.
I use to catch them things all the time as a kid.
Never scared me.
Thought they were beautiful.
Even thought scorpions were fun.
Mom would let us keep the horned toads and she would release the scorpions.
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Scorpions absolutely horrify me.
The sight of one sends me screaming away.
Wow. That’s something!
I’d love to have one again, but I know there is no way I could keep it alive.
I just hope they can save what’s left of the little fellers.
Great thread1 Thanks!
For a short-lived toxic chemical kill of Fire Ants, try this;
* in the morning (a time that the Queen is closest to the surface), pour enough rubbing alcohol on the fire ant tailings to penetrate at least 2 inches into the ground.
*Build a small dirt moat around the wet ant tailings.
*Slowly pour boiling hot water on the ant tailings, and fill the enclosed moat.
*Repeat 1-2 times a week, until ant tailings are not found for a few weeks.
The alcohol makes a quick kill, wets the ant tunnels, and becomes a killing fume head to the boiling hot water.
The alcohol is absorbed into the water.
The hot water heats up the ground and kills by overheating the ants.
Deep ant burrows or burrows under structures can be reached by pouring alcohol and hot water down a hollow metal pipe.
Leave metal pipe in place until the pipe has conducted its excess heat into the ground.
The alcohol fumes slowing rise to the surface and dissipate harmlessly into the air.
Warning: Probable root damage to tender plant roots.
Thanks for the info
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FOUND A GREAT VIDEO PUT OUT BY THE FT. WORTH ZOO FOLKS ON HORNED LIZARDS.
Must see for all we Texans who love our lizards. It shows them working with the lizards in the field. Great vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhw7JSHPMg4
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I remember that. I didn't see any "tickle bees" last spring either, (otherwise have been far from the area for more than half a century).
Did see a few fire-flies (lightening bugs) though, but not like they can still be found in the Mid-West.
PS:
The horned lizard eating ants about 7:38 is priceless!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhw7JSHPMg4
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