The Horned Lizard: A Big Bloody Mess
The Horned Lizard, also known as the horned toad, has many different types of defense mechanisms. Some of these include: a crown of horns around the head as well as numerous spins that run down the length of the back, considerable camouflage, inflating their bodies up to twice their normal size that looks like a spiny balloon, and flipping over so the predator has a hard time closing their bottom jaw with the spikes on their back. However, the horned lizard also has another defense that makes this animal stand out when compared to others. The horned lizard is well known for shooting blood from their eyes if they feel threatened. This blood comes form the ducts in the cornea and can travel up to three feet (1 meter). This blood also contains a chemical that is noxious to dogs, wolves, and coyotes.
This Lizard resides in hot, dry, and sandy environments that can be seen in the lighter yellow regions of the map. However, there are also some species that are found in the mountainous regions as well. There are 14 recognized species of horned lizards, their coloring will be dependent on the area that they are located and only 8 have the ability to squirt blood form the eyes.
As mentioned, there is a chemical in the lizard's blood that makes it noxious to the canine and feline species, but has no effect on predatory birds. There has been some speculation that this chemical is add to the blood during the pressure build up, but later research has shown that the toxin is already in the blood and circulating throughout the lizard's body. Since the lizard's diet mainly consists of the venomous harvest ants, this could be the main reason as to why there is more toxicity in the blood then normal.
This Lizard resides in hot, dry, and sandy environments that can be seen in the lighter yellow regions of the map. However, there are also some species that are found in the mountainous regions as well. There are 14 recognized species of horned lizards, their coloring will be dependent on the area that they are located and only 8 have the ability to squirt blood form the eyes.
As mentioned, there is a chemical in the lizard's blood that makes it noxious to the canine and feline species, but has no effect on predatory birds. There has been some speculation that this chemical is add to the blood during the pressure build up, but later research has shown that the toxin is already in the blood and circulating throughout the lizard's body. Since the lizard's diet mainly consists of the venomous harvest ants, this could be the main reason as to why there is more toxicity in the blood then normal.