Horny Toads are a Favorite around Here!
One thing I love about living in the New Mexico countryside is all the beautiful, wild critters that share our land. And in my opinion, the horny toad (AKA horned lizard) is one of the most fascinating. This particular little fellow has lived between our house and our small cabin for the past several years. We’ve watched him fill out from year to year.
My granddaughter Annabelle seems to have an especial affinity for him (her?) and always discovers the whereabouts of her little friend come spring.
Are Horned Lizards as Rare as Reported?
Before we moved to New Mexico, I’d heard that this lizard had become rather rare. So finding them living on our property was a real treat. From the little bit of research I’ve done, apparently one of this lizard’s favorite meals consist of ants. In urban areas, people who don’t appreciate the ant population use poison spray to decimate the bugs’ population. And the horny toads, finding mealtime pretty challenging, are forced to move on or starve. That explains why those in more populous parts of the southwest believed these lizards were approaching a dangerously low level of survival.
We have a LOT of ants around, and other bugs as well. Our horned lizards won’t starve. And if they can avoid tangling with our 2 kitties, they should do pretty well.
Yes, I Make Horny Toad Jewelry
Five or six years ago, I was still living in Florida but for some reason I designed a horned lizard! But every time I see a live one now, I want to create another version. There’s just something about seeing the living animal that inspires me all over again.
Fun Horned Lizard Fact
Two species of horned lizards, the Texas and the mountain short-horned horned lizard, have an interesting protective ability. They can actually squirt blood from their eyes when they’re attacked! I imagine that would be quite a surprise to a would-be attacker.
What native wildlife do you have where you live? Even if you’re an urban dweller, I bet you’ve got a population of some interesting native critters. I’d love to know what wild animals you see on your neighborhood walks!
Dr. Laura C. Peck says
We find horned lizards aka horny toads here in Kansas. I used to play with them as a child. We don’t use any chemicals on our property, so we have lots of insects. I haven’t seen any horned lizards, but we have plenty of tree frogs, and toads. After a spring rain, we frequently have a toad “hatch” and see little toads around our garden and under our security light, eating insects attracted by the light. Thank you for sharing. it was lovely to see a little horned lizard.
Merry says
Hi Dr. Peck! I love tree frogs and toads…in fact, I love amphibians (and reptiles) of all kinds! So nice you have a healthy population on your property. We do have frogs here as well, and once it starts raining we’ll first hear them underground, then they’ll appear here and there to lay their eggs. New Mexico is a challenging environment for amphibians, but they make it some how. Also lots of tiger salamanders around!