Horned Lizard Distribution. The Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutom – Phrynosoma – “Toad Body,” cornutom – “Horned”) is a type of horned lizard that is commonly known for its weird, but most amazing adaptation.
There are over a dozen recognized horned-lizard species found in the deserts and semi-arid environments of North and Central America, from southern Canada to Guatemala. Horned lizards can contract the muscles around their eyes, cutting off blood flow back to the heart. Blood continues to flow into the eye area where it fills the ocular sinuses with blood. It is rare for horned lizards to squirt blood at humans however, reserving this unique defense primarily for canids (i.e. Once the lizard floods its sinuses with blood, as described above, the skin surrounding the eyelids expands, dislocating the …
It’s pretty accurate too. It can be found in southeastern Oregon, California, western Arizona and Utah, and Nevada. This desert lizard might be small but its creepy way of using spines and shooting blood … The desert horned lizard (P. platyrhinos) is found mostly in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. By closing off certain blood vessels, the horned lizard abruptly increases the blood pressure in its head. Once the horned lizard is primed to shoot blood, one last trigger is needed – the lizard usually won’t eject the blood unless the touch receptors on their head are stimulated. Dave and Jeremy highlight an incredibly unique lizard known as the horned lizard. It has a blood shooting defense that shoot from the corners of the lizard’s eyes that can scare its predators away. they have a bony core). The natural location of the Horned Lizard is in many areas of Mexico and in the Western part of the United States. This desert lizard might be small but its creepy way of using spines and shooting blood … The squirting blood comes from ducts in the corners of their eyes and can travel a distance of up to three feet (one meter). They were introduced to European audiences in 1651 through the writing of a Spaniard, Francisco Hernandez. Horned lizards, genus Phrynosoma, are fascinating, unique and easily recognized animals. The streams can shoot out up to 5 feet! The horned lizard mixes its blood with the foul-tasting chemical in the ants before letting it fly. Horned lizards, also known as horny toads or horntoads is a North American lizard. These horns serve not only as a defense mechanism but also guide water toward their mouth when it's raining. In other words, the horned lizard has to think its head is in the predator’s mouth before it looses its best weapon. Our little sharpshooter aims for the animal’s eyes and mouth. These horns serve not only as a defense mechanism but also guide water toward their mouth when it's raining. foxes, coyotes, dogs) which have a strong reaction of distaste to the blood. they have a bony core). The photo shows an adult with blood around the eyes. Four species are also able to squirt an aimed stream of blood (with a very unpleasant taste) from its eyes to protect itself. The horns on the body are scales while those on the head are actual horns (i.e. Most species can burst blood vessels near their eyelids to squirt blood at their predators. The regal horned lizard is a small, flat lizard about the size of the palm of a man's hand. Though it has spikes all around its body, the regal horn's main defense is the ability to squirt blood from its eyes. Dave and Jeremy highlight an incredibly unique lizard known as the horned lizard. In a single squirt, the lizard can lose a third of its total blood. This ruptures capillaries near the corners of its eyes and a jet of blood squirts from each, as far as 1.5 metres (five feet). Most species can burst blood vessels near their eyelids to squirt blood at their predators.
Dave and Jeremy highlight an incredibly unique lizard known as the horned lizard. Arkansas is one of the places where you will find large numbers of them. The horned lizard can interrupt the blood’s return journey and keep it trapped in the head. Blood continues to flow into the eye area where it fills the ocular sinuses with blood. It has a marked effect on mammalian predators like dogs and coyotes, but usually doesn’t work on birds—which are known throughout the animal kingdom as stone-cold killers. When threatened, the horned lizard of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico can shoot arcs of blood from their eye sockets. It's meant to confuse would-be predators including birds, coyotes and snakes. During his travels in Mexico from 1570-1577, Hernandez was fortunate to observe a living horned lizard squirt blood from its eyes.