The horned lizard is popularly called a "horned toad," or "horny toad", but it is not a toad. The popular name comes from the lizard's rounded body and blunt snout, which make it resemble a toad.



Horned lizards use a wide variety of means to avoid predation. Their coloration generally serves as camouflage. When threatened, their first defense is to remain still and hope to avoid detection. If approached too closely, they generally run in short bursts and stop abruptly to confuse the predator's visual acuity. If this fails, they puff up their body to cause it to look more horny, making it appear larger and more difficult to swallow. At least four species are also able to squirt an aimed stream of blood from the corners of the eyes for a distance of up to 5 feet!



Below is a video of a horned lizard running around on our Joshua Tree Adventure! This was taken from a cell phone camera! See if you can spot him! Children used to catch horned lizards and sell them to pet stores but fortunately they are now a protected species.