What a day! While photographing a blue- throated Western Fence lizard, I turned to get a better photo and discovered this "dinosaur" - The Coast Horned Lizard. Since this is my very first sighting in the mountains of this unique lizard, I was quite excited!
Most lizards take off for safety when I spot them. Not this one! It moved very slowly. Besides being able to disappear into its habitat through camouflage, it is totally covered in spikes. If it is jostled and threatened, it will shoot blood from its eyeballs up to 6 feet. Sounds impressive, doesn't it?
Snakes know better than to get impaled by swallowing one of these lizards.
Don't be intimidated by this fierce looking lizard. It is actually helping us out. It's diet consists mainly of ants. It has more to fear than we do with habitat destruction, off road vehicles and ant killers.
So after posting this blog last night, I discovered another Horned Lizard down in Garner Valley. Two in 24 hours! How lucky is that?
Cheers to the Horned Lizard!
Click on photos to enlarge.
Photos and content by Robin Roberts.
