The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-04
HORNED TOADS AS PETS.
They Get Mad, Spit Blood, but
Like to Be StrOked.

"a IF all the curious objects for pets" said
EGsy the curio man TO a CALL reporter the
E5A other day, Il think that lhe horned toad
will take the palm."
care they popular as domestic animals?" asked
the one 10 whom this remark was offered.
II guess you'd think SO II you knew how many
We sell in he course Of the year, 10 say nothing
OF all those That are caught on the spot and car
ried home in triumph by those who fancy such
things"
"Who does?" asked the reporter.
"Well, children are very fond OF them. They
seem 10 think that it's no end of fun TO see them
run around, eat flies and burrow themselves deep
III the sand.'
"How are they treated when in captivity?"
Pretty much as we treat them, L suppose /;
you can see for yourself" said the curio man,
Leading the way to one side OF his crowded STORE
where, in a great, round, deep glass tank were
half dozen or more of the funny little fellows
sprawled out upon their sandy domain. One
seemed asleep, the others were moving with
more or less degree Of animation. One try
Ing TO mount TO all elevation furnished by the
back of a comrade and, having attained that
height, the rogue balanced himself upon his hind
legs and tried 10 climb up the CLASSY Side OF the
tank. But In this lie was not successful, and
after slipping back a most discouragiDG number
OF times, he gave it up as bad job Two others
seemed 10 be assuming a belllgereDt attitude, TO
which The owner at once called the attention OF
his VISITORS
do you see that 7' said he; "some OF those
fellows are the greatest lighters Imaginable.
They take dislike to each other and never rest
until they have fought II out 10 The dealh. The
old one there Is especially vicious"
We'll, l suppose you want 10 know all about
them. You newspaper fellows have way OF
getting man 10 run on and Iell all he knows
and as ! suppose that is what you're after now,
might just as well begin. 10 The first place,
these horned toads, as The boys call them
horny toads,' are to be found in sandy wastes
have heard OF their being caught out at the
Mission, but Of that l can't speak positively
ffnn Ara1
have received them from much nearer home
Al Redands the boys catch ever so many and
those disgusting creatures, the Chinese. eat
themi they just skin of that coat of mail and
eat the inside. Besides. they highly prize The
OIL which IS contained In little pouch some
where within lie anatomy OF horned toad.
They, the toads are shipped 10 us by ex-
press, III boxes, sometimes as many as twenty or
more in tie same box, and by the time that they
ale released from their confinement, they are all
wound together, until they look like wrihing,
animated mass OF wIiGslng legs and squirming
tails. As soon as they seem to consider ii safe
thing to do, they unlock their travelling grip and
begin 10 look about. Then / sell them. They
bring from Tour TO six bits. How long do they
lye| on don't know. have known them 10
live three or six months In perfect health, and
with every prospect ef continuing in that state
when they were brought to an untlmely end by
being stepped on. II there is oEe Thug abs Sc
another that horned toad cannot stand, ms
being stepped on II seems 10 haiIen him out,
as it were"
aren't you becoming very facetious ?" asked
Not al all; that is the usual fate Of a pet
horned toad. You see they are great travellers
and like 10 keep running about. Nearly every
body who has horned toad thinks it is so cute
TO see him Try 10 climb up out OF his box and the
hrst thing you know lie has succeeded IN getting
out OF his box aud is running about On his own
hook"
Can they be tanned; do they seem to know
one human being above anoIher?" was the next
question.
" Those who buy them maintain that thev do.
Why, sold one TO a lady who lived at the Palace
Hotel, and she allowed him Tie freedom Of her
apartments when she Went OUT, aud she told me
that on her return he would run 10 meet her no
mailer where he had hidden himself. He was
finally stepped on. Another a dear old lady
SAID that ler grandchildren made fun of her, and
declared she thought The horned toad scratched
his toes on the floor in response TO her chirrup,
but she said that he really did not go quite SO
far as that, although he WAS very knowing
What do they live ON? Oh, GU flies aud in
seets. i haYe known them, though, 10 20 Tor
month without eating anything. There is tins
that must be remembered. If You wish 10 keep
your toad alive, give him plenty OF sum- The
best house Tor him Is fish. globe filled with
deep bed OF nice clean sand. Set this In the sun
and throw IN some live flies now and then, aud
Mr.. Toad Will Thrive. Ii he wants the flies he'll
catch them and deyour item quicker Than
Wink. IL lie doesn't DO SO, you may know It's be-
cause he's mol hungry. There, i nearly forgot to
mention that one lady who bought one from me
had d tiny silver ring made for d collar for him
and TO this she fastened a narrow ribbon. and so
Kept track OF him.
"And l must mol forget either to tell you that
while they are perfectly harmless. they get them
selves into towering RACES. 1t makes them so
mad to be tlckled under the chin. They foam al
the mouth, and as one little boy expressed it,
he got so mad that lie spit blood at me out Of
his nose,' which Is about II. On. They are funny
lille fellows! hey like to be smoothly stroked
down the back. See this one blink his ewes al
me in lazy contentlnent as lie feels my finger
along his spine; ana see, II you poke him on The
side, whichever side II Is that You poke him, lie
Will bend way down as If in response to your
touch. would not be without one for a good
deal. They afford me lots of amusement when
business is duIlu