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I Saw a Horny Toad, and It Was Wonderful. [1]

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Date: 2023-09-12

Okay, it wasn't really a horny toad. That's just what we called them when I was a kid. What I actually saw was a horned lizard. And it was just so beautiful. I can count on one hand the number of horned lizards I've seen; the first was in the reptile house at the San Diego Zoo. The most recent had been during a camping trip up near Lynx Lake at least fifteen years ago. The one I saw the other day was next to the post office in Cornville; I might not have seen it at all if it hadn't hopped onto a rock just as I was walking by. I stopped to get a closer look, and it just sat there calmly gazing back at me with glittery little eyes. Looking like a tiny, fearless dinosaur. Or perhaps a dragon. It was bigger than the horned lizards I'd seen previously, maybe five to six inches from the tip of it's nose to the end of it's tail. It's body looked nearly as wide as my palm.

And because I don't have a cellphone, I had to hunt for a good picture of what it looked like.

It was just simply lovely and perfect. I crouched down as much as I'm able to these days, and it tilted it's head to look right back at me. Meeting this creature was a magical experience for me; I wanted very much to hold it in my hand. I didn't even try, because I know full well that wildlife is best appreciated while maintaining a respectful distance. I'm glad now that I had a bit of restraint, because when I looked it up later online I learned that this tiny dragon has a kind of self-defense superpower. When camouflage, spikes, and scooting away aren't enough to deter predators, a horned lizard that feels threatened can respond by shooting blood from it's eyes. Seriously! It can change the flow of it's blood inside it's head, and fire off streams of gore in the face of whatever is harassing it. As far as three to five feet!

Pleased to meet you. Keep your hands to yourself, thanks.

The one I saw is called a regal horned lizard. They can be found in Arizona, Mexico, and parts of California and New Mexico. They have a fairly specialized diet; they eat ants! Horned lizards of various species can be found all over the contiguous US; their populations have been in decline for the usual reasons- loss of habitat, predation by invasive species, and pesticides. For a while back in the seventies in Texas, they were harvested mercilessly for the pet trade; many thousands of horned lizards ended up in pet shops. And because their dietary needs were poorly understood, most died shortly after.

This exquisite basket depicting a horned lizard surrounded by it's favorite food- ants- is the work of Navajo artist Sally Black.

Horned lizards appear in ancient and modern Native American stories and art. Sometimes they are known by names which translate, more or less, as horntoad or horn toad.

This very old depiction of a horned lizard is part of the Shooting Gallery petroglyphs site at Basin and Range National Monument in Nevada.

One Navajo myth describes how Grandfather Horn Toad (who is also called Grandfather Cheii- one of the first four Holy People, and a spiritual grandfather of the Navajo people) defeated Lightning in a feud which culminated in single combat. Three times Lightning sent his bolts straight down with the intent to destroy Horn Toad; each time, Horn Toad rolled his wide, flat body to the side, making for a much narrower target. Three times Lightning struck at him, and failed. On the fourth try, Horn Toad caught Lightning's bolt on his many spikes, shattering it into bent pieces flying out in all directions. Grandfather Horn Toad won the battle, and to this day Lightning is forked and bent and spread about the sky.

This lively stone fetish carving is the work of Zuni artist Alvin Haloo.

After admiring that beautiful horned lizard for at least fifteen minutes I eventually moved on and entered the post office. On my way back out I saw it was still there. Perched on it's rock, basking in the sunshine. I stopped once more, bent down, and softly thanked it for the gift of letting me see it, and freely allowing my joy in it's presence. It tilted it's head to look again at me; I whispered the little blessing I say for every wild creature I encounter. I mentioned that I hoped we might meet again someday. And went back home happier than I was when I left.

Thank you for reading. This is an open thread, all topics are welcome.

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