Waiting for lunch
Harvester ants make up much of a Texas horned lizard’s diet. It can wait beside an ant trail and pick off passing ants with quick flicks of its tongue. Beetles and other small creatures sometimes end up on the menu, too.
GET TO KNOW THE TEXAS HORNED LIZARD
Meet the horny toad.
A wide little body, a short tail, and a head full of horns. There’s a lot to notice when a horny toad holds still.
“Horny toad” is a nickname. This animal is a horned lizard—a reptile with scales and claws. The one shown here is the Texas horned lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum.
More about horned lizards · Texas Parks & WildlifeA CLOSER LOOK
From horns to tail.
Start with the back, then look underneath. These illustrations show the same species from two sides.
The top side
DORSAL VIEW
HeadhornsEyesBack
stripeSide
fringeHind legsTail
The underside
VENTRAL VIEW
ThroatFront legsCream-coloredbellyHind legsToes and
clawsUnderside
of the tail
Read the diagram descriptions
Both illustrations show a Texas horned lizard with its head at the top and its tail pointing down.
The top side
- Long head horns
- Two long horns project from the back of the head, one on each side.
- Eyes
- The eyes sit on either side of the head, toward the front.
- Pale stripe along the back
- A light-colored line runs down the middle of the broad back.
- Fringe of pointed scales
- Two rows of pointed scales form a fringe along the sides of the body.
- Hind legs
- The rear pair of legs extends out from the lower sides of the body.
- Tail
- A short, tapering tail extends behind the body, between the hind legs.
The underside
- Throat
- The throat is beneath the head, above the front legs in this illustration.
- Front legs
- The front pair of legs extends from either side near the head.
- Cream-colored belly
- The broad underside is paler than the back and covered with small scales.
- Hind legs
- The rear pair of legs extends from either side near the base of the tail.
- Toes and claws
- The feet have slender toes ending in small claws.
- Underside of the tail
- The pale lower surface of the short tail tapers toward its tip.
These are simplified illustrations. Colors and markings vary between individual lizards.
Identification references: Texas Parks & Wildlife and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Illustrations are simplified; markings vary between animals.
LIFE CLOSE TO THE GROUND
An ordinary day.
Warming up
A horned lizard depends on its surroundings for warmth. After a night underground, it can come out to bask. Its broad, flat body helps it soak up the sun.
Hiding in plain sight
Brown, gray, and reddish markings help it blend into the ground. Staying still does the rest. That flat body also casts a small shadow—one less clue for a passing predator.
Sources: Oklahoma wildlife field guide · Horned lizards in West Texas
A FEW GOOD QUESTIONS
About those horns…
Are all horny toads the same kind?
No. Texas alone has three native species: the Texas horned lizard, the round-tailed horned lizard, and the greater short-horned lizard. Their horns and body shapes differ, so this diagram shouldn’t be used to identify every horned lizard.
Why do some look so puffed up?
A threatened horned lizard may inflate its body to look larger. The relaxed shape is flatter. The drawings above show a resting shape, with the legs spread so the parts are easier to see.
Can they really squirt blood?
Texas horned lizards can release blood from around their eyes as a defense. It helps repel predators such as coyotes. This is a response to danger, not a trick to try to make one perform.
Read more: Texas Parks & Wildlife’s guide to West Texas horned lizards.
THEIR PATCH OF GROUND