- Texas horned lizard
Taxobox
name = Texas horned lizard
image_width = 240px
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
ordo =Squamata
subordo =Iguania
familia =Phrynosomatidae
genus = "Phrynosoma "
species = "P. cornutum"
binomial = "Phrynosoma cornutum"
binomial_authority = (Harlan, 1825)The Texas horned lizard ("Phrynosoma cornutum") is one of 14North America n species of spikey-bodiedreptile s calledhorned lizard s. The Texas species ranges fromColorado andKansas to northernMexico , and from southeasternArizona toLouisiana andArkansas .Texas is the heart of its range. [http://webpages.marshall.edu/~moorej/toads/Images/cornrange.gif] There are also isolated, introduced populations in theCarolinas , Georgia, and northernFlorida . [http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/lizards/phrcor.gif]The
horned lizard is popularly called a "horned toad," "horny toad", or "horned frog," but it is neither atoad nor afrog . The popular names come from thelizard 's rounded body and blunt snout, which give it a decidedly toad-like or frog-like appearance.("Phrynosoma" literally means "toad-bodied." "Cornutum" means "horned.") Thelizard 's horns are extensions of its cranium and are composed of true bone.The Texas horned lizard is the largest-bodied and most widely distributed of 8 species in the
United States . It grows to a maximum length of 4-6 inches. Although its coloration generally serves ascamouflage against predation, when threatened by apredator , ahorned lizard puffs up its body to cause its spiny scales to protrude, making it difficult to swallow. The Texas horned lizard, along with at least three other species, also has the ability to squirt an aimed stream of blood from the corners of the eyes for a distance of up to 5 feet. This not only confuses would-be predators, the blood is mixed with a chemical that is foul-tasting to canidae predators such as wolves,coyote s, and domesticdog s.About 70% of the Texas horned lizard's diet is made up of harvester ants, though they supplement these with termites, beetles, and grasshoppers. In recent years, the Texas horned lizard has declined in about 30% of its range, though there is some indication it may be making a comeback. The decline is usually blamed on overuse of
pesticide s and the spread of non-native, but highly aggressive and fiercely territorial, Brazilianfire ant s. Both eradicate harvester ant colonies, destroying the horned lizard's principal source of food. The Texas horned lizard is now a protected species and it is illegal to take, possess, transport or sell them without a special permit.Some Native American peoples regard
horned lizard s as sacred. The animal is a common motif in the art of many Native Americans in the Southwestern U.S. and inMexico .The
horned lizard is the statereptile ofTexas and, as the "horned frog", is the mascot ofTexas Christian University (TCU).References
*Texas Horned Lizard Conservation Society http://www.hornedlizards.org/hornedlizards/hornedlizards_frame.html
External links
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