by Terry Lidral
The Texas horned lizard is a remarkable tiny creature that has a big connection with the American Southwest. It is also commonly known as a horned frog or a horned toad even though the Texas horned lizard falls under neither of those species categories. Weighing anywhere from 1 to 2 ½ ounces with a length between 2 ½ to 4 ½ inches, this petite reptile stands as an iconic symbol for the state of Texas and the Southwest as a whole.
The Texas horned lizard has become a symbol of the independence of the American Southwest.
Texas Christian University adopted the name Texas Horned Frogs, the Texas lizard’s common nickname, for both their yearbook and their football team in 1897. The Texas horned lizard is the state animal of Texas and its picture appears on Texas license plates with proceeds going towards wildlife conservation.
Native Americans of the Southwest hold the horned lizard in high esteem as a symbol of strength. Crafted replicas appear as detailed fetishes and horned lizard images are a common subject in Southwestern Native art work.
The Texas horned lizard is one of 14 spikey bodied reptiles with a range that includes Colorado and Kansas, the Southwestern United States, especially Texas and Oklahoma, and Northern Mexico. Like other horned lizards, it has a flattened body with painted fringe scales along either side of the body. Its tail is short and its nose is blunt, resembling that of a toad. The numerous horns protruding from the back of the head are made up of real bone.
The largest of the horned lizards, the Texas horned lizard is red, brown or gray in color. It is distinguished from other spikey reptiles in the fact that it has two to three dark lines radiating from each eye and across the top of its head.
The color and markings of the horned lizards are all about camouflage and protection. Living in arid or semi-arid climates, these creatures are usually found in loose sand or loamy soils as they burrow for protection, breeding and hibernation. Their coloration and markings provide them with camouflage that matches the open spaces that make up their habitat. Since sunbathing and resting in the shade take up a big part of the horned lizard’s day, it is vital that they blend in with their environment.
Predators that feed on spiny reptiles include hawks, roadrunners, snakes, lizards, coyotes, dogs, cats, ground squirrels and even mice. To even the odds, the Texas horned lizard has means of making itself very unappealing as an easy meal. Its ability to puff up its spiny body gives it more size, and sharp spines, than its aggressor can swallow.
And, if camouflage and body inflation fail to ward of predators, the Texas horned lizard has an extra special weapon that usually does the trick. Upon being grabbed, the Texas horned lizard can inflate its eyelids in a move that restricts blood flow, rupturing tiny blood vessels in the eye. The blood that is produced is mixed with a foul smelling and tasting fluid that the tiny creature squirts directly at its aggressor. The surprise squirt of foul-smelling blood can reach up to 5 feet and sends a predator into hasty retreat.
Texas horned lizards use the blood squirting defense only in extreme circumstances. The process uses up to a quarter of the little reptile’s blood supply.
Harvester ants make up 70 percent of the Texas horned lizard’s diet. Each lizard eats between 30 and 100 ants per day which makes the little reptile a big aide in protecting crops from destruction by the voracious Harvester ants. The Harvester ant’s sting is toxic and stronger than that of bees and wasps. But the Texas horned lizard has developed a method for safely eating its fill. Ants are catapulted down the little lizard’s throat where they are trapped in mucus that immobilizes the painful sting. Also on the horned lizard’s menu are beetles and various other insects when available.
Texas Horned Lizards have developed a way of catching their meal without being stung by the toxic Harvester ant. This clip from BBC tells how. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1304713386228881
Texas horned lizards are solitary animals that spend most of their time alone. In cold weather, they burrow into the ground and hibernate. Upon coming out of hibernation, they seek a mate and breed mid-May to mid-June, then immediately go their separate ways.
Following mating, the female Texas horned lizard digs a burrow where she lays somewhere between 11 and 37 eggs. She has no further involvement with her offspring which hatch in around 6 weeks after being deposited in the burrow. The hatchlings are immediately independent and will live a solitary life just like their parents. The youngsters, being extremely small, feed upon the smaller species of ants.
Texas horned lizards are vulnerable to habitat loss and sales in the pet trade. They are considered a threatened species and their extreme diet and light requirements have proven hard to fulfill outside of their wild habitat. But in recent years, zoos have been able to develop successful breeding programs and captive-raised individuals are being released back into the horned lizard’s natural environment.
