Or horn toad as we knew them as kids. What a great creature. As kids they captured our hearts with their seemingly friendly attitude. They were very easy to catch and hold.
We used to find plenty of them in Mocho creek behind our house. But, over the years they have become quite scarce in the Livermore area. Every few years we come across one at the ranch – as Rob did a few days ago. The one is this photo is a magnificant individual. He was about five inches long, which is as large as any I’ve seen.
The decline of the harvester ant is a major factor in the decline of the horned lizard.
The horned lizard’s mottled camouflage is its first line of defense, while the large “crown of thorns” on its head make it a tricky meal for most predators.