preview

Australian Horned Lizard Essay

Decent Essays

Many people feel uneasy when they see the Australian Horned Lizard, due to the mean appearance of it. This has been the basis for stories about it in various cultures. Fifteen subspecies of this lizard have been identified. The Horned lizard features horns that have been found in a row around the crown of the lizard’s head. They feature a body that is very flat and resembles that of large toads, and a very short but wide tail. “Both the tail and the sides of the body for this lizard features spines that are very sharp. It is no wonder that the Horned Lizard has fewer problems with predators than many other species of Lizards. The overall colors of this species are grayish with various areas of black, brown, or tan. The coloring often depends on the colors of the soil where they live so that they are able to …show more content…

It blends in very well and so it is often able to hibernate there without being disturbed by humans or other living creatures. They will come back out in the spring as the temperatures start to warm up. They are often seen basking in the sunlight during the day on rocks. They tilt the body so that they are able to get the most heat absorbed as possible. At night they lie flat on the ground and will burrow up to 4 inches below the surface of the sand. This helps to keep them warm until the sun comes out the next morning. Another odd behavior is, the hotter the temperatures are the more active the Horned Lizard is. Then they need to find more food than when they are not moving much. The diet consists of an array of insects, spiders, ticks, butterflies, and moths. They are opportunistic and will eat when food is available even if they have had more than enough already. One of their main diet staples are ants. They are patient hunters and will stand very stick. Then in an instant, they flick out the long tongue and get their prey

Get Access