For the last three summers, I have been treated to encounters with members of the species Phrynosoma cornutum, the Texas Horned Lizard that are living in the backyard. These delightful creatures help to eat the red harvester ants that we have in several places in the yard. The above image shows an adult in the lawn beginning to puff itself up to appear larger and to extend the thorns on its skin to warn predators that it is a choking hazard.

You can go here and here on this website to read more about my encounters with these creatures.

In this image, you can see that a Common Checkered Skipper has used this little fellow as a landing zone as well as probing him for food.

We love our little spiny friends and watch for them when we mow. They blend so well with the habitat that we often miss them until they move. I was treated this year to seeing one wiggle himself down into loose sand near an anthill so that only his head was visible. All he had to do was wait for unsuspecting ants to walk by. I didn’t have my camera or the time to photograph this one when it happened, much to my regret. However, we look for these little guys every time we go outside and especially when we are working on the lawn. So far, no tragedies. Peaceful coexistence is the rule around our house as much as is possible. Occasionally, we are rewarded with interesting pictures of neighborhood nature.

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When we arrived home after a day out in early August 2017, my son called me into the backyard because he had spotted Horned lizards feeding near an anthill. He was doubly excited because he thought he had seen a momma and her babies.

When I got my act together, we were able to find and photograph this little fella. He is parked by a remnant of a Redstem Storksbill that I had mowed recently.

Notice the black eyestripe, it is diagnostic for Phrynosoma cornutum,  the Texas Horned lizard (family Iguanidae). You can see more of these in another post here.

I put this image into the series because it shows our friend in the midst of some dried Bermuda grass stems. Note the size of the stems near its chest area. This will help you gauge the tiny size of the little baby you will see next.

In this image, you can see a young Texas Horned lizard. He is straddling a dried Bermuda grass stem like the one in the previous image. This little guy is not much bigger than a grasshopper.

Here is a closeup from the same image. You can see the beginnings of the black eyestripe characteristic of the species. Notice that all the spikes and horns haven’t reached the adult size. In the hip region you can see a couple of whitish chevrons that are becoming visible. Compare this guy to the images of the adult and you will see that this youngster has a way to go developmentally. Plus, he is about one fifth the size of the adult. He’s going to have to eat a lot of ants to grow all the way up.

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In my backyard, I am lucky enough to have a yearly visitor in the form of a Texas Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum. This little fella shows up periodically to eat the red harvester ants that appear in various places in the yard. We let these ants alone because they are usually no problem unless you stand in the middle of their mounds and cause the colony to defend itself. They are part of the local ecosystem and they feed the “horny toads”.

Horned lizards belong to the family Iguandidae which is evident when you look at the shape of the head and muzzle on these guys. There are at least 14 species of horned lizard in the genus Phrynosoma in the US and Canada. Notice the dark stripes radiating from the eye and the two large horns on the back of the head; these are diagnostic for P. cornutum. Also, they have a light stripe down the center of their back which helps identify them at a distance.

Texas Horned lizards have spines all over their body and their body is flattened. The abdomen of this individual was about the diameter of a golf-ball. Their shape and their spininess makes them hard for predators to swallow. W. M. Winton in Copeia No. 36 (10-24-1916) “Habits and Behavior of the Texas Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum, Harlan.I” pp. 81-84, said “When attacked, the lizard puffs itself out into an almost flat shape and tucks the head down, exposing the horns, and waits for the enemy.” Any enemy would be assured of a mouthful of thorns by attempting to eat one on of these “horny toads”. I recently observed this behavior when I was walking through the yard and not paying too close attention. I nearly stepped on one of the little guys and he had assumed this “prickly” defensive posture. We both recovered from our fright and went our separate ways. Not paying adequate attention to your surroundings in my part of the world can lead to rattlesnake bite, so you can understand my use of the term fright for the above. Needless to say, I am more careful.

Because of fire ants, pesticides, and habitat reduction, Texas Horned lizards have become a threatened species and it is illegal to possess, transport, or capture them without a special permit.

I count myself lucky that there seems to be adequate food and habitat for these little guys around our place. They struggle when traveling through the grass of the lawn, but they seem to manage. They prefer more open sandy country with plenty of ants. They are a visual treat when I can see them and I hope they thrive and reproduce. I am glad they haven’t become extinct and that my state is taking steps to make sure they don’t.

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