Identification
This spiny lizard possesses a pair of long hornlike spines on the top of the
head, and has two rows of light colored fringy spines on the side of its body.
The Texas Horned Lizard is colored in varying shades of brown, from yellowish,
reddish, greyish tan, or sometimes mostly greys. The back is also marked with
dark spots.
Distribution and Status
The Texas Horned Lizard can be found from Kansas and northwest Louisiana to
southeastern Arizona and northern Mexico (US
distribution map; Midwest
distribution map). It has disappeared from a significant
portion of its former Texas and Oklahoma range, where it is a threatened species.
Additionally, there are introduced colonies in northeast Kansas, south Louisiana,
Alabama, and southern Georgia, coastal South Carolina and Florida. The only
Midwestern state that is home to Texas Horned Lizard is Missouri, where they
are considered imperiled.
Ecology
The Texas Horned Lizard is a diurnal species that prefers flat, open terrain
with little plant cover. In order to maintain an ideal body temperature, through
thermoregulation, they tend to spend much of their time either basking or burrowing.
One unique characteristic of the horned lizards is their ability to squirt blood
from the eye when threatened!
Threats and Management Issues
The Texas Horned Lizard is in decline for a number of reasons. Human factors
are chief among them, including collection for the pet trade, the introduction
of the fire ant, loss of habitat, and also changes in land use.
Resources
General reference guides and websites.
Links to more information on the Texas Horned Lizard outside the Herp Center
Bruce Kingsbury, Director
Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management
Science Building
Indiana-Purdue University
2101 East Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499