Natural Sightings: Just trying to blend in

A young Coast Horned Lizard in the Tehachapi Valley. Jay Stebbins took this photo of a young Coast Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma blainvillii) in the Tehachapi Valley. This one was only about two and one-half inches long. Horned Lizards are found in much of the Tehachapi Mountains and in the surrounding arid parts of Kern County. They look like miniature dinosaurs, with their crown of horns and pointed scales. These cute little lizards try to avoid capture in two different ways: they either remain motionless and hope that their cryptic appearance helps them blend in with their surroundings, which often works, or they briefly sprint for the shelter of a low plant. Their Latin-derived genus name, Phrynosoma, means "toad-bodied," because their rounded, flattened appearance resembles a toad more than the elongated, streamlined shape of a typical lizard. People often call them 'horny toads' because of their strange appearance. They can also bury themselves in the sand, but won't usually try that once they sense that they've been detected. If they do get caught, they can squirt blood from the corner of their eyes, but most will not do this. It has been found that this defensive mechanism is most commonly triggered by dogs and other canines, so perhaps it evolved as defense against coyotes and foxes. Coast Horned Lizards used to be a lot more common than they are today. They have suffered from habitat loss and fragmentation due to housing development and agriculture, as well as the spread of non-native ant species which have displaced the native ants that they eat. The Nuwä (Kawaiisu or Southern Paiute) word for horned lizard is wükümahaazi, pronounced wuh-kuh-mah-HAH-zee. NATURAL SIGHTINGS is a regular feature of the Tehachapi News edited by Jon Hammond which showcases photos of the natural beauty that enhances the quality of life in Tehachapi. If you have a good quality image of plants, animals, insects, trees, birds, weather phenomena, etc., taken in the Tehachapi area, you may submit it to the Tehachapi News for possible publication. Submissions can be dropped by the News office in the form of a print or CD, or sent by email to: editorial@tehachapinews.com. View e-Edition Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.