Have you ever seen a horny toad or short-horned lizard?
The Short-Horned Lizard is one of the more captivating reptiles of the Rocky Mountains. Here are 6 facts about these small, hard to see animals.
The Rocky Mountains are not a hot bed full of reptiles. One of the reasons for this is the simple fact that it gets very cold during the winter and reptiles are ectotherms. This is one of the common reptiles of the Rockies. They may be common, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to see them. Their coloring serves as excellent camouflage, helping them to hide. I’ve only seen them in the wild a few memorable times.
6 Short-Horned Lizard Facts
Another name for this animal is the horny toad. This is due to the fact that they look like a toad that is covered in horns. Their tail is short and thin, making it hard to see.
They can be quite small. Photo via Flickr.
The Short-horned lizard is a small animal, averaging 3 inches long. It has a fan of spines that extend backwards off the back of its head. It looks like a tiny dinosaur more than any other kind of animal.
They can most often be found in sandy, rocky areas, or in juniper forests. Like other reptiles in the Rockies, they live mainly at lower elevations below 9,000 feet.
Photo Elizabeth Materna, USFWS
It is difficult to see due to its coloring and the fact that it generally sits very still. It waits for ants, beetles, or grasshoppers to pass by which it then catches and eats. The best way to see one is to keep your eyes open for movement as you walk through its habitat. If you happen to startle one you’ll see some movement.
There are over a dozen horned lizard species that can be found in the western parts of North and Central America. Most of them can be found in the dry, arid parts of the South-west and in Mexico.
These animals have a couple of incredible defensive adaptations to help them survive when attacked by predators. First, similar to a blowfish, they can inflate their body to twice their normal size. This makes them look like a spiny balloon that is not appetizing to predators. Secondly, they can squirt blood from their eyes. This confuses their attackers and gives them time to escape!