A Vanishing Breed by Karpata

Photography • Animals • posted on Sep 17, 2003

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Description

The Texas Horned Lizard or "Horny Toad". These curious looking little creatures were quite common when I was a kid growing up on the coastal plains of south Texas. Now they've all but vanished from that area, as a result of pesticides and the spread of the South American fire ant, and are a protected species. I was excited to see this little guy along a hiking trail in Palo Duro Canyon state park. Coincidentally, this same canyon was once one of the last havens of the American Bison when Charlie Goodnight protected the few remaining members of the southwest herd. The bison have made a remarkable recovery - I hope someday the horny toad will, as well.

Comments (7)

OctaviaW

12:10PM | Wed, 17 September 2003

Great close-up!!... I too miss seeing frogs. Don't remember too many horny toads in my area (Houston) but I have seen them before, long ago. Still, I remember seeing many more frogs around here even in the city - the large & the very small ones... Your pic honors 'em beautifully.

PapaGuru

1:53PM | Wed, 17 September 2003

Very great pic of a beautifull and nice lizardy, you call'em toads hey! Ants are his mainfood but not the fire-ant!

)

jgeorge

4:27PM | Wed, 17 September 2003

So cuuute! (Ok, I'm a little strange, but I really find it cute;-))

)

Legadia

5:24PM | Wed, 17 September 2003

well i aint ever seen a toad like this before,there would be no licking this one,lol Great shot... :-))

cynlee

7:38PM | Wed, 17 September 2003

xcellent shot of the Horney Toad! nope, don't see then running around as much except as one of the Texas decorative license plates available :]

Masema

9:56PM | Wed, 17 September 2003

Excellent shot! Always sad to hear about an endangered species. I hope it makes a recovery as well.

)

Niles

12:31AM | Thu, 18 September 2003

Great shot, they are getting rare. When I was a kid in central Texas they were everwhere, you could sell them for 25 cents each. I lived near Eastland Texas, home of Ole Rip a famous toad that toured the US. He was so it says put in a corner stone of a courthouse and many years when they opened the corner stone to build a new courthouse he was still alive... "Ole' Rip" ;) Thanks for the post love Texas nature.