Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Creature Feature #318: Horned Lizard


The Horned Lizard is sometimes known as the "Horned Toad" due to his blunt snout and squat, toad-like body. He inhabits the dry desert areas of North America. His body is covered in an array of scales, modifed into spines, and he bears 'true' horns on his head. These, combined with his general camouflage, are the first step towards preventing predation. If these measures fail, he will puff up his body to make himself into an unwieldly mouthful. Some species are also capable of squirting blood from their eyeballs as a further deterrent. This not only confuses the predator, but tastes foul to mammals and most will go off in search of an easier mouthful.

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