The horned lizard is popularly called a "horned toad," "horny toad", or "horned frog," but it is neither a toad nor a frog. The popular names come from the lizard'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.") The lizard's "horns" are not true horns, but modified spiney scales.

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 as camouflage against predation, when threatened by a predator, a horned lizard puffs up its body to cause its spiny scales to protrude, making it difficult to swallow. At least four species, including the Texas horned lizard, also have the ability to squirt an aimed stream of blood from the corners of the eyes for a distance of up to 3 feet. This not only confuses would-be predators, the blood is mixed with a noxious biochemical that is foul-tasting to wolves, coyotes, bobcats, and domestic dogs and cats.

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 pesticides and the spread of non-native, but highly aggressive and fiercely territorial, Brazilian fire ants. Both eradicate harvester ant colonies, destroying the horned lizard's principal source of food.

The horned lizard is the state reptile of Texas and, as the "horned frog", is the mascot of Texas Christian University (TCU).

More Information:

Texas Parks and Wildlife's Texas Horned Lizard Watch