Texas horned lizard. Horny toad. Horned frog. These are all common names for the same creature, Phrynosoma cornutum. Texas horned lizard is perhaps the more “correct” common name, but for some people, this lizard will always be whatever name they grew up calling it. This lizard brings on strong opinions; it seems like everyone I have met believes their name for it is the best name, and everyone seems to love the actual animal. Many people older than perhaps 25 remember playing with them as children, and have noticed that they no longer see horned lizards around.
Most people have heard that horned lizards populations have greatly declined in Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife, The Horned Lizard Conservation Society, the Forth Worth Zoo and others have done an excellent job educating the public about the decline of the horned lizard in Texas; however, there are two problems in this situation:
Information gets diluted
Horned lizard conservation efforts are getting good press today, and now anyone who has ever read anything about horned lizards shares that in the comments sections of these stories. Some of this information is helpful and some of it is… less than helpful. It can be difficult to pick out what someone has actually learned from science and what they have picked up from something their great grandfather told their father, who told it to him. I do not mean to take anything away from the wisdom of grandfathers, but in some things conditions change over time, new information is learned, and honestly, not everyone’s grandfather is wise.
The case is not closed
While we have a better understanding of what has led to the decline in horned lizards new research is constantly being conducted. Some of the research supports what we have suspected and some of it indicates that we still have a lot to learn about such a popular animal. For example, during a seminar about horned lizards I attended we were all told that horned lizards will very rarely (nearly never) feed right at the entrance of an ant colony and we should concentrate our search efforts along ant trails instead of the colony. Since then I have had the opportunity to work with horned lizards in a professional capacity and have observed horned lizards feeding on ants at the colony enough times I am unashamed to disregard that suggestion.
So, what did happen to them?
As, I mentioned above, there is still work happening to figure that out, and while we may never know exactly all the details, we are are fairly sure that it was no one single event or thing that triggered the decline in horned lizards. Let’s take a look at some of the factors
Fire ants
In the 1930s an invasive species (actually several species) of ants from South America were introduced into the United States along the coast of Alabama due to shipping traffic. It wasn’t until the 1950s that these ants first entered Texas. Since then they have steadily spread north and west covering much of the state. Fire ants are probably the most well known suspect when it comes to the demise of the horned lizard. There is just one problem with that: There are areas of southern Texas that have had fire ants for decades and did not lose their horned lizards. Certainly, fire ants have had an impact; however, it is likely our response to them that made the greater impact.
We went to great lengths in our attempts to eradicate the fire ant, and our careless use of poison likely caused a great decline in the red harvester ant. The red ant is a main (but not only) food source for the Texas horned lizard, and killing them is a sure way to remove horned lizards from an area.
Habitat fragmentation
During the same time we were killing the red harvester ant by mistake we were also destroying habitat. In the last 30 years Texas has experienced a surge of urban building. Today more than 80% of Texans live in the city, and the cities have grown, which removes horned lizard habitat. Horned lizards need open (but not too open) ground, preferably with bunch grass and low thorny shrubs to protect against predators. The short and dense turf grasses planted on most yards are not suitable.
Habitat degradation
In the city
Many homeowners love the dense turf mentioned above and will use a large number of insecticides to keep it thick. This leads back to the ant issue. This habitat degradation also has happened outside of the cities.
In the country
Cotton and wheat, while vital crops to the local economy form large monocultures that provide little shelter some of the year and no shelter after harvest and the same pesticide issues are present as well. In pasture lands, overgrazing has been identified as a problem.
Lands placed in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) were allowed to grow too dense, displacing horned lizards. While one would think lands removed from agricultural production would be good for horned lizards; however, it is possible to preserve it “too well.” Rachel Granberg’s work suggests that prescribed fire is needed to keep grasslands from becoming too thick.
What is the Conservation Reserve Program?
CRP is a program which will pay long term rent (10-15 years) on ecologically sensitive lands if the landowner will take it out of production and take actions to protect it, such as planting native grasses. This has greatly helped with erosion, water quality and wildlife habitat across the country
The times, they are a-changin’
After decades of decline, we may be poised to see a comeback of the Texas horned lizard in Texas. Many of the culprits I discussed above are still present, but we are as a culture moving away from large scale insecticide use in some areas, partly from education and partly from the environmental laws passed in the 1970s. We are also learning that prescribed fire is not evil, and grazing practices are becoming more refined every decade.
In some areas people are starting to see horned lizards again, but in other areas, it may take a bit of help to bring them back. Texas Parks and Wildlife started a reintroduction study last summer to investigate the viability of releasing wild-caught lizards into areas they were known to once roam. It is too early to know the results, but people are hopeful.
While the observations of lizards returning is only anecdotal at this point, between that and the possible reintroduction in other areas by TPWD, we stand a good chance of seeing horned lizards making a comeback in Texas. This recovery hinges on Texans continuing to follow good practices, and to extend them to other areas, such as xeriscaping portions of their yards.