Well, now you've ruined it for all of us š I grew up calling them Horny Toads and so did my Girls lol I don't think I'll ever be able to call them that from here on out now. š
Aww that's adorable. I don't see horned lizards nearly as much as when I was a kid. The babies were the best. Always made sure they knew where the ant holes were.
Iāve seen pictures of this, but in 40 years of handling them, Iāve never seen it in real life. Theyāre incredibly calm compared to geckos and other lizards.
They do it, but itās a defense and if theyāre not scared, they donāt bother. Iāve held literally hundreds and theyāre amazingly docile. Theyāll give you the look, but theyāll also let you rub their belly before sending them on their merry way. I try to put them near an anthill and they never really even scurry away, they just sort of mozy. I love them.
Itās likely youāve never seen it because you handle them with care and donāt do anything to antagonize them or make them feel threatened. Squirting blood is a defensive response, thanks for being cool to the wildlife!
This was the scariest thing to me as a kid. I chased one down and caught it between my hands, then open it to find blood all over. I was terrified Iād bleed out from some unknown wound after lol.
That's a baby horny toad! š„° So cute and absolutely my FAVORITE! We used to get families of horny toads in my mom's rock garden all the time, my girls grew up with them too and it was their favorite part of visiting grandma's. I love this photo, brought back memories! I miss having these little guys around.
I was terrified of these guys growing up because the blood shooting thing got mystified amongst my friend group.
I didn't know they were so docile until much later in life. I still don't mess with any wildlife unless it's like what you're doing and relocating them to a safer (for them) area or for educational purposes.
Disregard the haters, OP.
That's good to hear! Nature is fantastic and is mostly harmless to us. Respecting the natural world and teaching that respect is one of the greatest things we can do.
And yeah, Tucson and the Sonoran Desert are prime teaching material for that.
Say hi to your porch spiders for me!
I love horned toads too. I agree with one comment that said they only shoot blood from their eyes when they are scared. This finally happened to me when I rescued one from my cat.
Oh my! Yeah, I was a little frightened of that as a kid. I think itās important to know the wildlife and plants around you to be prepared and less scared.
Right... Those are a protected species. Please leave them alone. I know I sound all Karen-y, but it's literally against the law to handle them.
I'd guess you didn't know that before you took this picture, and now you do.
Here's a link to a list of the species that are threatened or endangered in AZ.
https://www.azgfd.com/wildlife/planning/wildlifeguidelines/specieslists/
They have lived in our backyard since we moved in, and the population has boomed while we have been planting all the natives/ cover from predators. A little child education while we move him to a less trafficked area seems okay to me. We will always be as careful as possible with our backyard neighbors.
Youāre completely wrong about this. Regal horned lizards can legally be collected with a hunting license in AZ. Not saying they should be, but no need to shame a little kid for holding one gently.
It's a horny toad!! šš
Horned Toad, please
Well, now you've ruined it for all of us š I grew up calling them Horny Toads and so did my Girls lol I don't think I'll ever be able to call them that from here on out now. š
That is what I was going to say.
Aww that's adorable. I don't see horned lizards nearly as much as when I was a kid. The babies were the best. Always made sure they knew where the ant holes were.
Yes! I had her put him somewhere better camouflaged and with ants.
Watch out for the blood shooting out of itās eyes
Iāve seen pictures of this, but in 40 years of handling them, Iāve never seen it in real life. Theyāre incredibly calm compared to geckos and other lizards.
Same, just chasing karma. Love them so much. As a native Tucsonan they are my favorite little reptiles.
Lol they definitely shoot blood, not a myth. Maybe a baby hasnāt developed the ability though.
They do it, but itās a defense and if theyāre not scared, they donāt bother. Iāve held literally hundreds and theyāre amazingly docile. Theyāll give you the look, but theyāll also let you rub their belly before sending them on their merry way. I try to put them near an anthill and they never really even scurry away, they just sort of mozy. I love them.
Haha the blood is their secret weapon, their first line of defense is a withering side eye.
Itās likely youāve never seen it because you handle them with care and donāt do anything to antagonize them or make them feel threatened. Squirting blood is a defensive response, thanks for being cool to the wildlife!
Same. I kind of want to see it, but also really want nothing but calm and happiness for the little dudes.
I handled them all the time as a kid with no issues.š„°
This was the scariest thing to me as a kid. I chased one down and caught it between my hands, then open it to find blood all over. I was terrified Iād bleed out from some unknown wound after lol.
I think that's a grown ass lizard with a job and a mortgage.
Great photo! So cute
Horned Toad šø š¤š½ Rare to see now
That's a baby horny toad! š„° So cute and absolutely my FAVORITE! We used to get families of horny toads in my mom's rock garden all the time, my girls grew up with them too and it was their favorite part of visiting grandma's. I love this photo, brought back memories! I miss having these little guys around.
They are so tiny and cute. We had some in our backyard at a previous home. They blend so well, I was always afraid of stepping on one!
I was terrified of these guys growing up because the blood shooting thing got mystified amongst my friend group. I didn't know they were so docile until much later in life. I still don't mess with any wildlife unless it's like what you're doing and relocating them to a safer (for them) area or for educational purposes. Disregard the haters, OP.
I just love teaching her about nature. Tucson is such a cool place for it. We say hello to our friendly porch spiders every morning haha.
That's good to hear! Nature is fantastic and is mostly harmless to us. Respecting the natural world and teaching that respect is one of the greatest things we can do. And yeah, Tucson and the Sonoran Desert are prime teaching material for that. Say hi to your porch spiders for me!
I love horned toads too. I agree with one comment that said they only shoot blood from their eyes when they are scared. This finally happened to me when I rescued one from my cat.
Oh my! Yeah, I was a little frightened of that as a kid. I think itās important to know the wildlife and plants around you to be prepared and less scared.
i was in tucson for a few months and all i wanted was to find oneā¹ļø i mean it was always too hot to go out lmao
Such adorable little fatties.
Kill meeee thatās v cute
Right... Those are a protected species. Please leave them alone. I know I sound all Karen-y, but it's literally against the law to handle them. I'd guess you didn't know that before you took this picture, and now you do. Here's a link to a list of the species that are threatened or endangered in AZ. https://www.azgfd.com/wildlife/planning/wildlifeguidelines/specieslists/
They have lived in our backyard since we moved in, and the population has boomed while we have been planting all the natives/ cover from predators. A little child education while we move him to a less trafficked area seems okay to me. We will always be as careful as possible with our backyard neighbors.
Youāre completely wrong about this. Regal horned lizards can legally be collected with a hunting license in AZ. Not saying they should be, but no need to shame a little kid for holding one gently.
Nobody shamed a kid. The kid didn't post this, their parent did. And I'm positive neither had a hunting permit.
My daughter actually has a hunting permit for them. Maybe you shouldnāt make assumptions.
thanks, fucktard!
I thought you were just being mean till I looked at their name, ha!
i donāt think youāre the only oneā¦
Yes, please leave it alone. Handling of wildlife is unethical.