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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

A Visit From The Texas Horned Lizard!


Was out this evening watering the melons, vegetables, and those plants that are thirsty. I was over by the butterfly bush and ran into this fellow (click on the picture to enlarge). The Horny Toad is actually a lizard. They eat lots of bugs, but mostly tons of ants. They are scaled along the body, but the horns on the face actually have bone in them. Their ancestors must be those giant horned dinosaurs that Jesus saddled and rode around on (shout out to my creationist friends). These lizards have three defenses....1) they puff up like a puffer fish so that they can't be swallowed. 2) they can shoot stinky blood from their eye ducts up to 5 feet. That will confuse a lot of predators 3) they dig their butts in the ground and push their head horns out like sharp goat heads. Last one of these I have seen was in Mesquite when I was running with Stan, Sarah, and Ernie. They are an endangered species in Texas, but not nationally. I think he has dug himself a home under my butterfly bush, so i hope i don't drown him watering. Otherwise, he is more than welcome.....

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