In order to ward off hungry predators, short-horned lizards are capable of inflating their bodies up to twice their size, resembling a spiny balloon. And if this proves insufficient, some species employ one of the animal kingdom's most bizarre defensive mechanisms: they shoot blood from their eyes .
How does a lizard defend itself?
Tail Shedding
One of the most unusual ways a lizard can defend himself from danger is to shed his tail. When stressed or if captured, the tail simply falls off. This is often enough to confound the predator, who may simply focus on eating the tail, leaving the lizard to escape.
How does the horned lizard defend itself?
By closing off certain blood vessels, the horned lizard abruptly increases the blood pressure in its head . ... This ruptures capillaries near the corners of its eyes and a jet of blood squirts from each, as far as 1.5 metres (five feet).
What do horned lizards do?
Horned lizards prefer to eat ants , but they will also eat many other types of invertebrates, such as grasshoppers, beetles and spiders, to supplement their diet. Usually, they search for prey in open areas, moving quietly searching or waiting for an unsuspecting ant or other food item to come into view.
Do horned lizards shoot blood at humans?
Fortunately for humans, horned lizards rarely shoot blood at people . How do they do it? Horned lizards can contract the muscles around their eyes, cutting off blood flow back to the heart. Blood continues to flow into the eye area where it fills the ocular sinuses with blood.
How can you tell if a horned lizard is male or female?
Males are more swollen at the base of the tail than females and have a pair of enlarged scales near their vent (cloaca). Females and juveniles have some color, but not nearly as bright. Even if you can't get a look at the lizard's belly, there are also behavior clues that help reveal gender.
How far can a horned lizard squirt blood?
The ominous squirting blood emanates from ducts in the corners of their eyes and can travel a distance of up to three feet .
What is the natural enemy of a lizard?
Snakes and birds are the two most common lizard eaters. All snakes are found to prey on all the lizards except those lizards that are much larger in size to them. Similarly most of the flesh-eating birds also prey on lizards.
What do lizards do when they are scared?
Some lizards also have elaborate hunting and mating rituals, while others display distinct behaviors to show they're unhappy or scared. This might include digging his claws into you during handling , opening his mouth, whipping his tail around, or twisting around in your hands.
What do lizards do when scared?
Spines. Some lizard species are also equipped with sharp spines and spikes to make them appear more frightening to predators. Spikes can also be painful for predators that choose to bite down on the lizard. For example, the bearded dragon has spikes around the back of its head and along the sides as a form of defense.
Can horned lizards be pets?
Horned lizards don't make good pets because they typically have a very specific diet : ants. It seems some people just snatch them up out of the wild and take them home.
How long do horned lizards live?
Little information is available on their normal lifespan, but horned lizards can live at least five years . Size: Adult females reach about 5 inches in snout-vent length, but males are smaller, reaching only about 3.7 inches.
Where can I find a horned lizard?
Horned lizards are found only in the western portions of the United States and Mexico . There are 14 recognized species. They range from Arkansas to the Pacific Coast, and from British Columbia south to Guatemala. These lizards are creatures of hot, dry, sandy environments.
Is there a lizard that shoots blood out of its eyes?
Horned Lizard
Talk about blood-shot eyes. When threatened, the horned lizard of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico can shoot arcs of blood from their eye sockets.
Do horny toads eyes bleed?
When corned by a predator, the horny toad will raise its blood pressure and flood its ocular sinuses, then the blood will jet out of its eye sockets. The crimson spray emanating from the corners of their eyes can go as far as four feet. ... The act of shooting blood from their eyes is called auto-hemorrhaging .
Are horned lizards toxic to dogs?
Their blood contains formic acid that is particularly harmful to members of the dog family, and causes an unfavorable reaction that discourages further munching.
