Texas Horned Lizard

Nice shots of this tough little guy. I use to catch these as a kid, and kept a few as pets. I haven't seen one in the wild in a long time.

LOL! Great captures! Really blends into surroundings.

He's so cute great captures

Here in West Texas we call them Horned Toads and they are a protected species against the law to kill them .

love the first one
"u looking at me?"

Yep, the first is a winner.

this is the first time I saw that kind of lizard.. very amazing

they shoot blood from their eyes.

it's a shame texas doesn't protect their rattlesnakes.

ajosteve wrote in post #8554849
Nice shots of this tough little guy. I use to catch these as a kid, and kept a few as pets. I haven't seen one in the wild in a long time.

I just wanted to pick him up and take him home. He (or she) was just so cute!

Cyclop wrote in post #8555229
LOL! Great captures! Really blends into surroundings.

Thanks! I tried to get him to get into a "grass" area but that was not happening!

Gorveatt wrote in post #8556038
He's so cute great captures

I am glad I am not the only one who sees the cute in him! My husband thinks I am nuts!

Celestron wrote in post #8556155
Here in West Texas we call them Horned Toads and they are a protected species against the law to kill them .

I had some locals call them horny toads. I had no idea!

carshop wrote in post #8560593
love the first one
"u looking at me?"

Thanks!

sparker1 wrote in post #8562489
Yep, the first is a winner.

Thanks so much!

kelvinservigon wrote in post #8567306
this is the first time I saw that kind of lizard.. very amazing

First time for me too! I had seen this lizard crossing the road for some time but could never tell what it was. I kept describing it to people, well what I could see of it from a distance and they all thought I was mad! I was so happy when I could shove the picture in their faces!

bigcountry wrote in post #8574006
they shoot blood from their eyes.

it's a shame texas doesn't protect their rattlesnakes.

First I thought you were being daffy but I went and looked it up. OMG you are right! I just thought this was some sort of old urban legend.

I did not pick this fellow up but I wanted to, I just knew nothing about it and had no idea if it would bite or was poisonous or what. I have learned one thing in this desert don't pick up what you don't know and don't pick pretty flowers before checking the stem!!

Things here that are pretty can often have serious consequences if touched liked beautiful beetles called Blister Beetles. A few weeks ago I went to pick a beautiful wild flower out of my yard and ended up spending an hour removing tiny thorns from my fingers!

reneethomas wrote in post #8575181
I had some locals call them horny toads. I had no idea!

Yep, that's a horney toad.

It is definately true. Like ajosteve, I used to catch them and keep them as pets when I was a kid.

Despite their looks, horney toads are very docile. I don't recall any of them biting. They pretty much just sit there and look at you.

Nice photos by the way!

Tim

bigcountry wrote in post #8574006
it's a shame texas doesn't protect their rattlesnakes.

They probably would if we didn't have 10-Billion+ all over the USA . Horned Toads are on the national endangered list .

ron you don't have 10 billion + all over the US. timber rattlesnakes which only occur in a small portion of texas have lost a lot of their range and are loosing a lot of their habitat.

eastern diamonbdacks in the southeast are loosing ground due to habitat loss and roundups.

same w/ the western diamondbacks in your state.

populations of different species of rattle are declining greatly. the moronic round ups are a big part of that reason.

bigcountry wrote in post #8577411
the moronic round ups are a big part of that reason.

Yeah , you talking about these type Roundups ??

thats would be the big daddy.

Slowly that generation of thinking is dying off. I doubt i'll see those types of people gone in my life, but eventually they will all be gone.