the false chameleon

The horned lizard is a small reptile that is characterized by having a head with a kind of horns. It has a flattened, oval body, spines lining each side, and a broad tail. It measures about 8 to 12 cm and weighs between 2 to 6 g.

21 different species of horned lizards are recognized. They are distributed throughout America, from Guatemala to Canada. The shape and number of the horns vary according to the species to which each specimen belongs.

This reptile can camouflage itself on land thanks to its grayish-brown color that is easy to mix with other elements. For this reason, many confuse it or say that it is similar to the chameleon.

Fun facts

• It is a carnivorous animal and eats mainly insects, spiders, ticks, butterflies, moths, etc. Ants are their favorite food.
• They eat whenever they can, even if they have already consumed a lot of food, in order to always maintain their reserves.
• It adapts very well to all types of environment, both high temperatures and cold.
• There are four species that defend themselves by launching a jet of blood that tastes unpleasant to their predators. They do this through the corner of their eyes and the jet can reach up to 2 m.
• Most species are oviparous, laying 10 to 30 eggs. Only one species is ovoviviparous (pygmy short-horned lizard), which means that the mother carries the eggs inside her and gives birth to live young.
• It is common for it to sunbathe on the rocks during the day. To do this, tilt your body in such a way that they obtain as much heat as possible from the sun’s rays.
• The warmer the temperature, the more active the horned lizard will be.