Basking the in the last rays of the sun, this Texas horned lizard or “horny toad” as we grew up calling them, is a flat-bodied and fierce-looking lizard. You can see the head has numerous horns, all of which are prominent, with two central head spines being much longer than any of the others. This lizard is brownish with two rows of fringed scales along each side of the body. On most Texas horned lizards, a light line can be seen extending from its head down the middle of its back. It is the only species of horned lizard to have dark brown stripes that radiate downward from the eyes and across the top of the head.

They can hide really well! My husband had spotted it earlier on his walk around the park and and even though I was looking for it, I walked right past the little guy and had to retrace my steps until I found him. Hunkering down among the dead grass, it’s coloring provided the perfect camouflage. He froze as I approached and save for his eyes, did not move the entire time I was shooting.