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Welcome to the About section. Here you can learn interesting facts about the majestic horned lizard and the conservation movement to save the horned lizard.
Horned lizards make up a unique group of lizards that live manly in the southern United States and northern Mexico. The Texas horned lizard, scientifically called Phrynosoma corntum, is the horned lizard that is most recognizable and also Texas Christian University's mascot. The horned lizard is currently in decline because of its popularity. In Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Kansas, New Mexico, their population decline is over 30%. The main reason behind their decreasing numbers is habitat destruction, pet trade and shortage of harvester ants, which is the primary food source for horned lizards. It is our goal to protect the horned lizard and create a safer habitat.
Since we are students at Texas Christian University, located in Fort Worth, Texas, we have a very close connection with the Fort Worth & Dallas Zoos. The Fort Worth Zoo created the first environmental site for the horned lizard. They currently have thirteen lizards in their control and have released many into the wild. They monitor the released lizards to study the best reintroduction method to ensure a revitalized horned lizard population. The Fort Worth Zoo is one of the best and most proactive locations for horned lizard research and protection. The Dallas Zoo, 30 miles East of Fort Worth, currently has dedicated staff members and research facilities studying the horned lizard and the history of their existence. Another prominent conservation location is Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch, abbreviated RPQRR, which is located in Fisher County, Texas. RPQRR is a 4,700 acre preservation piece of property used to research the species and learn more about their habitats, but also ensure a safe habitat for the lizards.
With the constant dedication of these two zoos and the numerous conservation groups around the state, we believe we can revitalize the horned lizard population, and in doing so, learn more about them. With your help, it is possible to provide better research materials and staff by donating to our conservation group.
So what can be done on your part besides donating? There are a few options here. One is fairly obvious, which is to support the growth of harvester ants and kill fire ants. Using certain baiting techniques and insecticides can kill off fire ants and promote the growth of harvester ants. Planting harvester ant-friendly crops can promote even further growth and food for horned lizards.
Another great option is to purchase horned lizard license plates. All the funds generated by sales goes directly to horned lizard research... and the license plates look pretty cool too!
Keeping horned lizards as pets in captivity is a something we want to cut down on. Although we love them and want to keep them as pets, they need ants to survive, which can set you back about $100 a month on the harvester ants alone. It is also illegal in the state of Texas to keep these lizards as pets because they are among many of the endangered species. We encourage you to do some more research on how you can simply help benefit the lizard population and grow a better habitat for them.
For further information about TCU Horned Frog Conservation Society's budget and expenses, check the How Can I Help? tab at the top right website ribbon.
Below are our Top 5 Facts that you should know about the horned lizard.
Top 5 Facts
Here is a short YouTube link talking about the horned lizard's defense mechanism, their blood-squirting eyes.
Horned lizards make up a unique group of lizards that live manly in the southern United States and northern Mexico. The Texas horned lizard, scientifically called Phrynosoma corntum, is the horned lizard that is most recognizable and also Texas Christian University's mascot. The horned lizard is currently in decline because of its popularity. In Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Kansas, New Mexico, their population decline is over 30%. The main reason behind their decreasing numbers is habitat destruction, pet trade and shortage of harvester ants, which is the primary food source for horned lizards. It is our goal to protect the horned lizard and create a safer habitat.
Since we are students at Texas Christian University, located in Fort Worth, Texas, we have a very close connection with the Fort Worth & Dallas Zoos. The Fort Worth Zoo created the first environmental site for the horned lizard. They currently have thirteen lizards in their control and have released many into the wild. They monitor the released lizards to study the best reintroduction method to ensure a revitalized horned lizard population. The Fort Worth Zoo is one of the best and most proactive locations for horned lizard research and protection. The Dallas Zoo, 30 miles East of Fort Worth, currently has dedicated staff members and research facilities studying the horned lizard and the history of their existence. Another prominent conservation location is Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch, abbreviated RPQRR, which is located in Fisher County, Texas. RPQRR is a 4,700 acre preservation piece of property used to research the species and learn more about their habitats, but also ensure a safe habitat for the lizards.
With the constant dedication of these two zoos and the numerous conservation groups around the state, we believe we can revitalize the horned lizard population, and in doing so, learn more about them. With your help, it is possible to provide better research materials and staff by donating to our conservation group.
So what can be done on your part besides donating? There are a few options here. One is fairly obvious, which is to support the growth of harvester ants and kill fire ants. Using certain baiting techniques and insecticides can kill off fire ants and promote the growth of harvester ants. Planting harvester ant-friendly crops can promote even further growth and food for horned lizards.
Another great option is to purchase horned lizard license plates. All the funds generated by sales goes directly to horned lizard research... and the license plates look pretty cool too!
Keeping horned lizards as pets in captivity is a something we want to cut down on. Although we love them and want to keep them as pets, they need ants to survive, which can set you back about $100 a month on the harvester ants alone. It is also illegal in the state of Texas to keep these lizards as pets because they are among many of the endangered species. We encourage you to do some more research on how you can simply help benefit the lizard population and grow a better habitat for them.
For further information about TCU Horned Frog Conservation Society's budget and expenses, check the How Can I Help? tab at the top right website ribbon.
Below are our Top 5 Facts that you should know about the horned lizard.
Top 5 Facts
- When alarmed, members of some species eject a thin stream of blood from the nictitating membrane of the eye for a distance of several feet.
- The body color blends with their surrounding environment, making them almost invisible to prospective predators.
- These horned lizards can grow from 2.5 to 6 inches in length.
- More than 50% of their diet is made up of harvester ants.
- They are also known as horned toad, horned frog, or horny toad.
Here is a short YouTube link talking about the horned lizard's defense mechanism, their blood-squirting eyes.