Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. In the arid plains and rocky deserts of North America, a ...

STAMFORD — There’s probably not much chance that if you grew up in Texas and are of a certain age that you didn’t catch and keep a horned lizard as a pet. Of course, you called it a horny toad because ...

Once a common sight across Texas, the Texas horned lizard has become increasingly rare. Now, the Caldwell Zoo is working to reverse that trend through a specialized breeding and conservation program ...

When my grandson Parker was 11 years old, he called me from a coastal island with exciting news. Problem was I took the call outside a restaurant with people jabbering and at a spot where I had a ...

Oklahoma's scorching summer temperatures may cause many wildlife to retreat, but species like the Texas horned lizard enjoy soaking in the sun's rays. "Summer is the best season to watch for reptiles ...

Why they're awesome: Greater short-horned lizards have a squat, flat shape and short snouts, which makes them look more like amphibians than reptiles — hence the nickname "horny toads." But these ...

KENEDY, Texas — "We couldn't wait to get home, change our clothes and go play with the Horned Toads," says Lisa Yaklin. She grew up in Kenedy, Texas... now designated as the 'Horned Toad Capital of ...

Two zoos are making notable strides this year in the recovery of the Texas horned lizard, the rare and threatened lizard cherished as the official state reptile of Texas. Caldwell Zoo in Tyler and ...

When it comes to creative survival tactics in the animal kingdom, few creatures can compete with a small, spiky reptile that weaponizes its own blood. The greater short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma ...