Horny Toad

Photo by Thomas Schmied

Horny toads are seldom seen in the desert, because they wear their best camouflage suits.  Not a toad at all, this lizard looks like a toad because of his fat squatty body and short snout.  The entire body is covered with stiff scales that look like horns, but the horns on the back of his neck are real.  The horny toad mainly eats ants by sitting still, then snapping up the unsuspecting ant.  He has additional defense mechanisms such as the ability to puff his body to twice his size, making him look threatening to predators.  But better yet, he has the ability to shoot blood from his eyes up to three feet. The liquid is noxious to dogs, wolves and coyotes.  Now, the Horny Toad in Carefree is a different animal.  The oldest restaurant in Carefree provides great western fare at a fair price.  The Satisfied Frog across the street has closed, but I'm pretty sure that makes the Horny Toad happy.

Arizona Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard