The Horned Lizards 



insect, the reptile assumed an astonished expression, opening 

 the eyes widely, then nodding the head violently up and down, 

 six or eight times. 



Although the general demeanour of the horned lizards is 

 timid and inoffensive, occasional specimens make ludicrous 

 attempts at self defence. The present specimen was curious 

 in this regard. When annoyed it would arch its back, point 

 its snout downward, then make jumps of fully an inch from the 

 ground, from this position, each jump being accompanied by a 

 miniature hiss, which sounded like a sneeze. The performance 

 was altogether clown-like and far from alarming. When the 

 lizard discovered that its efforts were unsuccessful in driving 

 the intruder away, it resorted to flight, in a scamper for a dark 

 corner. Late in the afternoon it so buried itself in the sand, 

 that only its nostrils and the crown-like top of the head were 

 visible, and these so closely matched the colour of the sand that 

 a close inspection was necessary to find it at such times. 



The animal died from inflammation of the intestines, a 

 condition that kills many of the captive horned lizards and may 

 result from the change of environment, from the absolutely 

 dry and warm sands of the desert the home of most of the 

 species to the general clamminess that pervades sand or gravel 

 in our damp, Eastern climate, unless the bottom of the cage is 

 heated by steam or hot water pipes rather a difficult provision 

 in a private collection. 



The rarity of this horned lizard might be accounted for 

 in the consideration of its relatively smooth skin and absence 

 of head spines, rendering it an easy prey for various snakes. 

 Thus the general abundance of those species with bristling body 

 spines and long horns upon the head might also be explained. 



THE LITTLE HORNED LIZARD 



Phrynosoma modestum, (Girard) 



Appeals to Ditmars's Horned Lizard in the absence of the 

 marginal, spiny scales, at the edge of the abdomen. It is a 

 comparatively smooth species, and the head spines are small. 

 Thus it lacks the spiny, bristling appearance of the larger species. 

 Like the preceding, the ear drum is exposed or but partially 

 covered with granular scales, a character which removes it from 

 all of the succeeding horned lizards. The scales of the abdomen 



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