What is most commonly referred to as the horned toad is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae by the name of Phrynosoma solare. It is a small animal (total length generally less than 15 cm) covered with spiky protrusions. Its native range is the Sonoran desert which extends across Arizona and New Mexico as well as northern Mexico.

They are insectivorous, but rely upon ants for the majority of their daily ration. Being adapted for desert living, they require very little water and a great deal of heat.

The characteristic which distinguishes the horned toad from a typical desert lizard is its anti-predator defense. When threatened, the animal goes beyond the typical series of defense mechanisms of head bobbing, arm waving and whatnot. The horned toad can make blood squirt out of its eyes up to a distance of a meter or more. It does this by limiting blood flow from the head until pressure builds up and the capillaries around the eyes burst. As you might imagine, this is a nasty shock for a potential predator, and in the resulting confusion the animal normally makes its getaway.

A charming little beast known for shooting blood out of its eyes.

A bit of puffer fish and a bit of horned dinosaur, squished into an ounce of pancake-shaped body.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Reptilia
Order Squamata
Suborder Sauria
Family Phrynosomatidae
Genus Phrynosoma

Have you ever seen rocks move out of the corner of your eye while you were in the desert? It was probably one of these guys.

Horned toads are also called "horny toads," but their true name is "horned lizard." They're lizards, with scales and dry sandy skin. So why "horny toad?"

Genus Phrynosoma: Phryno is frog; soma is body. Frog body.

Typically, lizards aren't much for excessive heat or cold. Hot sand can be deadly to an ectotherm. Apparently, horned lizards aren't typical ectotherms. They sleep in the sun, on ground hot enough to burn humans. This lends itself well to the lizard's primary defense against predators — camouflage. Their scales bear the natural tones of the desert earth, while their spines mimic the shadows of the outcroppings. Their bodies are flat and they have short tails. They look like lumps of dirt.

There are fourteen recognized species spread throughout the Western US and Mexico. While most prefer arid climes, some live on mountains 10,000 feet high.

Horned lizards are lazy hunters. Most small reptiles are quick killers, there and gone in a flash. These things drag themselves around in the sand, eating slow-moving ants with their long, sticky tongues. Despite the poor work ethic, they're capable of surprising agility: approach one and it'll scurry away like a mouse. When they're not straining themselves hunting, horned lizards spend much of their time in the sun, their flat bodies tilted to absorb maximum radiation. They sleep underground, digging furrows with their plow-shaped faces, and pushing the earth aside by swishing about and scraping with the spines extending from the sides of their bellies.

They harvest rain water by channeling it down the tail, over the back, and into the mouth.

The lizards reach adulthood after three years. Mating takes place April through June. Egg-laying follows several weeks later; somtimes eggs are retained in the body until hatching. Young are an inch long and are on their own instantly after emerging from the flexible eggshell. Typically their first act is to self-bury, followed by hunting some hours later. A clutch is anywhere between 15 and 30 strong.

Like any cool animal, the horned lizard has several defenses. When confronted, it will expand like a balloon and hiss loudly to intimidate. If picked up, it will feebly twist its head, attempting to gouge with its cephalic spines.

When hissing and gouging fails, blood comes from the eyes.

Pressure builds in the blood vessels behind the eyes causing rupture. Usually the blood just trickles out and smears all over the lizard's face, but it has been known to achieve a meter-long arc.

Now I'm going to say something strange.

It's not a good idea to keep horned lizards as pets.

First, they're protected by Federal limits on housing and keeping. Second, most of them are endangered. Third, they're extremely picky eaters — while they are capable of eating many insects, they greatly prefer ants, and when separated from this menu they're quick to die.

Best thing to do is to pick one up, admire the spines, maybe get bled on a little, and let it go.

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Sources

Desert USA
http://www.desertusa.com/april96/du_hliz.html

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horned_lizard

Hodges, Wendy. "About Horned Lizards."
http://www.digimorph.org/resources/horned.phtml

Desert Museum
http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_horned_lizard.html