the.com/horned lizard
the desert dragon that aims its own blood at your face and means it
means A squat, spiny North American desert lizard of the genus Phrynosoma, famous for its flat body, crown of horns, and ant-heavy diet — and for the alarming defense of squirting blood from its eyes.
from A plain English compound: "horned" for the bony spikes ringing its head, "lizard" from Old French "lesarde," which traces back to Latin "lacertus." Often called "horned toad" or "horny toad" for its squat, warty, toad-like shape, though it's no toad at all. The genus name Phrynosoma comes from Greek "phrynos" (toad) plus "soma" (body), formalizing the same toad resemblance the common name leans on.
- blood squirt
- shoots blood from its eyes up to five feet
- foul taste
- eye-blood repels coyotes and foxes specifically
- ant diet
- eats thousands of harvester ants per day
- fake horns
- the horns are real skull-extending bone
- flat defense
- flattens and inflates to look unswallowable
texas horned lizard — phrynosoma cornutum, native to texas and southwestern usa, covered in horn-like scales
regal horned lizard — phrynosoma solare, arizona desert species, shoots blood from eyes when threatened
california horned lizard — phrynosoma blainvillii, endangered species, found in coastal california and baja california