Regal Horned Lizard
A regal horned lizard looks on calmly as a hungry coyote comes near. All of a sudden—splat! The crafty lizard squirts the coyote with a stream of blood from its eyes. Believe it or not, this reptile can shoot the gory goo three feet or more! And that’s just one of its clever tricks.
- Common Name:
- Regal Horned Lizard
- Scientific Name:
- Phrynosoma solare
- Type:
- Reptiles
- Diet:
- Insectivore
- Size:
- 3 to 4 inches
CHOW DOWN
Regal horned lizards already have supersharp survival instincts when they hatch in late summer. Their sticky tongues are ready to snap out like rubber bands and catch spiders, sow bugs, and ants. And if predators such rattlesnakes and road runners put regal horned lizards on the menu, they’re in for a challenge. The reptiles rock at hide-and-seek. They can change colors to blend in with almost anything in their desert homes in Arizona in the United States and western Mexico. If that doesn’t work, the lizards suck in air to inflate like a balloon. Then they seem too big to gobble up!
BAD BLOOD
But nothing compares to squirting blood on command! As a last resort, the reptiles are able to burst the blood vessels near their eyeballs to trigger a surprise spray. They aim the blood toward the predator’s mouth—it’s the bad taste that sends enemies running. Talk about an eye-popping surprise!