The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-04-09
Our Horned Toad
Among Ouaintest
OfLiving Reptiles

q, Mexico. California and Nevada
-, are animals called horned
'".,so which are among the quaint
W ,f living reptiles They are
a.. spoken OF ne horned toads"
~. ,,rong namo-for toads are am
.s,b.ans and without scales. but the
,,e ls probably suggested by their
g shape. their sluggish ways.
"a tbeir habit OF catching insects
sticky tongue. True lizards
H.. undoubtedly are. but they differ
~, fns others i'm their flat bodies
l.j,.sral with keeled, spiny scales
"a ig the circlet OF horns upon
,ss head. There are nearly 20 dif-
,yF4f is the meaning OF that cir
-, ~ sharp horns on the head.
.tl.r recall as II I'm miniature, the
W.. ..rg horns Of some OF the OK
i,, gI9ut reptiles? They serve TO
go N blows and bites. for the
',s,fgre lowers its head and raises
ne sr4fus Of It's back when Il Is on
ne defensive, and we can well be-
Vsye fhat n an enemy bit the head
"a horned lizard once, Il would
,syor do 80 again. The Indians say
,le. n "a snake swallows one whole,
Mo urgonquerable creature proceeds
N work its way by n short cut from
,se stomach outward-which mus;
avery dlsagreeablo process 90 the
Another remarkable feature in tho
horned lizards is their power ot
roior.change. They have the secret
N the Gygcs ring. and putting on
Nh, garment OF invisibility is for
,bor as easy as winklng. Wherever
me- horne. tho horned lizard rosem-
bios the color Of the soil so closely
ma. 10 is almost impossible to see
them except when In motion. Spec
jmers from the white sand OF the
desert are very light In color, those
from the black lava belt are almost
HACK. whereas those from the
rary.colored mountain districts
show rcd and even blush markings.
How quickly a change Of surround
ings would bring about a change in
color ~ not definitely known. but
some Observers say that the change
takes place in from "a TO As hours
Given horns and scales and the
mantle OF invisibility, the horned
lizards are safe, and we are not
surprised 10 learn that most OF the
lferont kinds are represented by
'rge numbers OF individuals. We
can understand now why they have
such a large range-from Canada TO
southern Mexico and from the
Mississippi to the Pacific coast; why
they rarely bite; why they can af-
ford 10 take things easily. basking
IN the sun and moving in n most
f.... 81 nj
comes they play "possum:' when
they are thoroughly scared they seek
refuge In bush or burrow in the
sand.
Even IN their burrowlng they are
unlike most other creatures. The
chisel-shaped head liz the principal
tool the legs being used almost
solely for forcing the head forward.
A wriggling motion OF the head and
body beneath the sand soon covers
the body completely with earth. A
flrt Of the tail filings the earth
over that appendage and the little
lizard becomes entirely hidden. Tho
nostrils are kept either at the sur
face Of the ground or near enough
TO the surface so tnat breathing Is
possible. Sometimes the spines are
left protruding above the ground
like dry thorns.
The horned lizards are for tho
most part insectivorous, catching liv-
ing ants beetles and flies on the end
OF the viscid tongue. When in
sects become scarce and the cold
weather sets In, the horned lizards
burrow into the ground and pass
into deep winter slumber. II captive
specimens are not allowed their
winter sleep they will keep on feed
Ing through the winter. but thcy are
sue TO die I'm tho fo11pU-ipc enviup