The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1878-04-06
An AriZOua Pet.

Tie following article, taken from the s.
F. Post, well describes an attractive little
animal usually attributed to Arizona only,
but which is quite as common in Califor-
MIA. It's capacity for living without food
is probably exaggerated: in other respects
our own experience corroborates the
writer's statements. The best way of
heeking these pets is in a jar of dry sand,
in which they quickly bury themselves.
One peculiarity seems to have escaped his
notice; which is that these little animals,
in a state of rest will invariably be found
with their heads to windward no matter
how Theoretically sealed may be their jar
of captivity. As pets they quickly learn
to take flies from their capto.'s fingers,
and do it with a dexterity truly remark.
able:
| The horned toad, or crowned tapayaxin,
also known as the horned frog and crowned
chameleon, is not uncommon on the Pacif-
| ic coast, and is found in the Southwestern
States and in Mexico. 1t belongs to the
family iguanide, genus phrynOsOma. In
its general aspect 1t somewhat resembles q
frog, and in its slugGishness toad; but it
is true lizard, and in no respect batra-
chi.n. 1t must not be confounded with the
horned frog of tropical South America, d
true batrachian of the genus ceratophrys,
in which the head is rougheneC and spiny.
This species is three tunes as large as the
common frog, with an enormous mouth.
1t lives upon small rodents, birds, other
frogs and mOllusks. The horned toad of
North America is three to four inches long,
and feeds upon insects. 1t is very gentle
III its disposition, and passes the winter in
state OF lethargy in holes dug by various
rodents, appearing about April and disap.
! bearing about October. One, as write, is
curled up beside the inkstand, eying me
sieepiy. He is quite tame, and has been
my companion for months. / caught him
ON the divide in Virginia City, Nevada, and
carried HIM for many days inside my hat.
He was very quiet, except when the heat
was intense; then he would vigorously
scratch my head until air was supplied
him. Finally, rolled him up IN bundle
of papers which packed strapped behind
my saddle, and forgot AL about him. At
the end Of month Or six weeks remem-
bered, and viii cOmpunctiOn ur rolled the
bundle. My neglect companion stretch
ed himself lazily, snapped up passing
fly, and seemed i'll nowise injured by his
rough and tumble as well as confined rxis-
tence. For over month longer he rode
with me: sometimes in my pocket, then
inside my hat, and occasionally in the sad
die bags. Latterly he has occupied the
cosy quarters of cigar box covered with
wire netting, lest he should wander away
in NV lh Er,. ri, 7 l..
allowed him no food, and save q slight at
tenualion he betruys no signs of discom-
fort. ! have no trouble with him only
when | cOniine him after having allowed
him the liberty Of the table; then he dis
tends his body 10 its fullest extent, ana
swollen with anger, with Shrill Kisses, tier-
cety strikes ut me with his pink mouth,
innocent of teeth or fangS. Even now he
eyes me suspiciously, curving his tail nerv-
nusly preparing for battle. He belongs to
the species Z. Blainyillie, and if not an at
tractive pet has the counter requisites of
being ugly and odd. His head is orna-
menLed with long, cOnical spnes, set round
its edge, and directed backwards, thus
forming Il kind of crown. Shorter trian-
gular spines run along the back, and ex-
tend even over the short pointed tail,
which they fringe on both sides. These
spines seem to be of no use, except, per-
haps, as defensive armor i'll case of at
tack by larger animals; they would Sc
rlously interfere with enjoyable mastlca-
tion. His c1lor is light gray, varied with
irregular bands of rich chestnut brown.
His eyes are small, but bright and scin-
tillating. The tenacity of life shown by
the horned toad is something wonderful.
A lady acquaintance of mine Imprisoned
one Ill dlsuscd powder horn. A year af-
terwards she opened the horn and found
the inmate alive and we'll; beside it lively
offspring which the captive mother had
given birth to. | saw one which had been
hanging six months sus ended by its tail. |
This cruel treatment did not apparently
diScOmmode the animal to any great eX-
tent. In the early days of the gold excite |
ment this strange, curious lIttle reptile |
WAS universally dreaded and feared. In |
probable stories were told of its deadly |
powers. A well known journalist of Sau |
Francisco, with some comrades. located Il |
rich claim in 1919 somewhere in the Cula- |
veras country. They camped for the night !
III the morning The ground was alive with |
horned tOauS; many of them had crowded |
beneath the folds of The blankets seeking |
warmth The entire party, atfrighted, |
ignominiously fed, leaving the hldeous |
reptilians pO5sessors Of the field. A COM
took out $4,000 worth of goIddust. The |
Indians iave Il superstition that after mid
night the horned toad has Il fatal bite In
case of severe wounds of any kind they
split the toad open lengthwise and apply
IL as remedy-and 1t is said with success.
There Is also prevalent notion tLat when
irritated the toad exudes blood from its
eyes, which, by inOculation, is extremely
poisonous. Scientifically, considered Us u
genus, the horned toad comprises about
half Il dOzei. species, all North American,
and is characterized by an oval body, fiat
tened, and crowned by differentiated scales;
head short, triangular, with prominent
verteX and sharp spines; the temp oral re-
gion much developed: neck very short,
and with transverse folds underneath; |
nostrils lateral, near the snOut: tympanum
visible, but depressed; dentated margin
on the flanks; no spinal or caudal crest;
tail short and cOnlcal, with similar spihy
scales; legs of nearly equal length and
size, with five toes on each, moderate, the