Stephenson Family Ties The Barn Burnt Down
And Now I See The Moon
What I LOVE today:


I dont know what it is about me and reptiles...but I really do dig'em! And I really didnt expect to see any out in the desert this morning...its getting too cold!! But look what I found trail side!!!

Hes so cute!!!

Horny toads are my fav!!!

Want to learn a bit of trivia about these marvels of the desert....

This little guy is doomed from the start. They are

preyed upon by a number of creatures, including hawks, roadrunners, snakes, lizards, dogs, wolves, and coyotes. (and crazy ladies like me!) So ingeniously they have learned some unique coping skills, beyond their natural camouflage; they have adapted a pair of remarkable talents. In order to ward off hungry predators, horny toad/ lizards are capable of inflating their bodies up to twice their size, resembling a spiny balloon. And if this doesnt work, sometimes they try a most bizarre defensive tatic: They shoot blood from their eyes. In all my years of catching and 'taming' horny toads, I have never yet seen this behavior...so Im not so sure I believe it. But Wikipedia says its true..so it must be so.

This nasty squirting blood spouts from ducts in the corners of their eyes and can travel a distance of up to three feet. It’s meant to confuse would-be predators, but also contains a chemical that is noxious to dogs, wolves, and coyotes.

I think I would have taken this little guy home with me today...but past experience tells me there are not enough ants in the back yard to keep him fat and happy. He's better off out in the wild, hunting bugs for himself. Besides, its probably only days away now before he takes his long winter nap.

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