Horned Toad/Horned Lizard????

[PrincessToad]

A friend brought me a little horned toad or horned lizard. I have no idea exactly what it is. It is about 2" long, small slender tail, fat bodied, kind of cream and brown in color and horns behind the eyes. Very cute indeed, but what I was able to gather about it is that it may be a Mexican Horned Lizard, Short Horned Lizard or a Texas Horned Lizard. All of which are protected and illegal to capture or keep. I am going to release it back into the desert. Does anyone know if I can just release anywhere or do I need to try and release it close to where it came from? I want to make sure the little bugger will be ok.
Thanks

 

[TheWidowsPeak]

all I know about them is they need to eat ants to be healthy... I didn't think they were illegal though. I would just suggest letting it go by an anthil somewhere. I know they are supposed to make great pets.

 

[PrincessToad]

Well I know nothing about them. All the information I have gathered has been from the internet, so I am really not sure if what I am reading is correct or not. But to be on the safe side I will release him. He is really cute and might be fun to keep, but I don't know if I can accomodate his needs. Off I go to find an ant hill out of the city.

CORRECTION: I just found a site that says only Texas and Mountain Short
Horned Lizards are protected and illegal to keep.

 

[woijchik89]

A friend brought me a little horned toad or horned lizard. I have no idea exactly what it is. It is about 2" long, small slender tail, fat bodied, kind of cream and brown in color and horns behind the eyes. Very cute indeed, but what I was able to gather about it is that it may be a Mexican Horned Lizard, Short Horned Lizard or a Texas Horned Lizard. All of which are protected and illegal to capture or keep. I am going to release it back into the desert. Does anyone know if I can just release anywhere or do I need to try and release it close to where it came from? I want to make sure the little bugger will be ok.
Thanks

Ummmmm, horned toads aren't illegal............They are sold in petstores everywhere............Wait.............did your freind catch it in the wild.........or buy it from a petshop?...................In that case yeah, You should release it close to were you found it.

 

[jaijjs]

If it was a WC, Release it. If it was a CB, Keep it. I had one years ago that I caught in Eastern Washigton. They are Ant eaters. They will eat mealworms and termites too. I was very inpressed as to the range these lizards are found.

 

[PrincessToad]

I should have mentioned that it was WC. It was found at a new house construction site. I released him in a field near where he was caught. He seemed very happy to be released. Unfortunately now I think I want one as a keeper. Time to start checking pet stores.

 

[ddale]

Just remember before you get one that in most cases they must have ants to survive - ants provide an essential acid to them. I say most cases because some of the species have evolved in areas where these harvester ants aren't available. I am not, however, clear on the availability of the species that do not require ants. One source online for feeder ants is antsalive.com make sure you're ready to keep the ants too!

 

[jaijjs]

Just remember before you get one that in most cases they must have ants to survive - ants provide an essential acid to them. I say most cases because some of the species have evolved in areas where these harvester ants aren't available. I am not, however, clear on the availability of the species that do not require ants. One source online for feeder ants is antsalive.com make sure you're ready to keep the ants too!

One of the sites that lists a lot of snakes and so on had them listed. What is the range of the Harvester ants? I do know that these lizards range as far north as parts of Canada. I also can't recall if all of this species squirts blood from its eyes? :?

 

[Wade]

Although harvester ants are probably the species most often eaten by these lizards, other ants are also eaten. Harvesters are often used for captive specimens because they are very common out west and easily collected. Formic acid is the chemical the ants produce.

There are introduced populations of these lizards in many eastern states, including NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, and LA.

Wade

 

[ddale]

Although harvester ants are probably the species most often eaten by these lizards, other ants are also eaten. Harvesters are often used for captive specimens because they are very common out west and easily collected. Formic acid is the chemical the ants produce.

There are introduced populations of these lizards in many eastern states, including NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, and LA.

Wade

Wade: Do you know anything about those species that don't eat ants - available?

and

jaijjs: Not sure if they all "bleed."

 

[Wade]

I'm pretty sure they all eat ants, I'm just saying they don't have to be harvester ants specifically.

Wade

 

[Ravnos]

Even the biologists and experts at the Horned Lizard Conservation Society have trouble keeping horned lizards alive for any real length of time in captivity. They just simply do not do well. No one is really sure why.

New Mexico lists the Texas Horned Lizard as a 'species of concern' which means that it is in review to be protected. Would be nice if they did protect them, their wild populations are a mere fraction of what they were just 20 years ago.

Rav