April-May 2011
Coming Events
This year has been exciting! Look what’s coming!!!!
APRIL
Larry Millar, Big Country Birding
MAY
Roger Clark, Quail / Grasses
JUNE
Ryan Hunter, Interpretive
Presentations
JULY
Cherrie-Lee Phillip, Nestbox Monitoring
AUGUST Laird Fowler, Rocks / Minerals
The Prickly Pear
Our Purpose…
...to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial
management of natural resources and natural areas within our commu nity...
2011 MONTHLY MEETING SCHEDULE
SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER - OPEN
Don't forget to start planning to attend the Texas Master Naturalist
State Conference! The 12th Annual Meeting will be held October 21
through 23, 2011, at Mo Ranch in Hunt, Texas.
(Submitted by Shannon Roysden)
Save these Dates for the
Horned Lizard Surveys!
Saturday—May 14
Saturday—June 11
Saturday—July 16
Saturday—August 13
Saturday—September 10
Phil Watkins will send an email with all the
details such as times, directions, dress,
and any other specifics as we get closer
to the dates. We usually complete the surveys after lunch, depending on what
we’ve found and how much fun we’re having.
The surveys will be at Roger Clark’s property near Stamford.
We will leave the Extension Office about
8;30, which will probably put us on location around 10:00 a.m.
(Submitted by Judy Hetherington)
From the President
It’s been a busy couple of months with the Farm, Ranch and Wildlife Expo, Backyard Gardening Seminar, and bluebird nestbox building.
Sarah Kieschnick, Brian Hetherington, and I staffed the Master Naturalist booth on the main floor of
the Farm, Ranch & Wildlife Expo. Moving the Master Naturalist booth to the floor of the coliseum was the
best thing that could have happened to us. We had over 232 people stopping by to talk to us and take brochures and booklets. We also had a list where people could sign up if they are interested in our next training
class. We have over 21 names and email addresses of people that are interested in the Master Naturalist
training in August!
Big thanks to Pam Yeaman for setting up the booth on Monday evening and making extra copies of
the BCMN chapter brochures!
Big thanks to Sarah Kieschnick for working the booth all day on Tuesday and again on Wednesday
morning!
Big thanks to Shannon Roysden for working the booth on Tuesday morning!
Big thanks to Brian Hetherington for working the booth when he could on Tuesday afternoon and
again all afternoon on Wednesday! Brian and I also took the booth down and carted all the pieces back to the
Extension Office.
The Backyard Gardening Seminar had 44 people in attendance in the morning. There were a few less
in the afternoon, but I still counted about 38 people. The reviews for the seminar have come back very high.
Shannon Roysden had a BCMN booth at Frontier Texas on March 2nd. Sarah Kieschnick is organizing a booth for Earth Day at the zoo in April.
Phil Watkins gave a very interesting training program on the Texas Horned Lizards and the TPWD
Horned Lizard Watch at the March chapter meeting. Be sure to read Phil’s article on Horned Lizards in this
issue.
Submitted by Judy Hetherington, President
This photo of sandhill cranes was taken by Mary Burrows’ friend, Kathy Kennedy, from Kathy’s back porch in Sweetwater.
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T H E P R I C KL Y P E A R
(Submitted by Sarah Strom-Kieschnick)
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T H E P R I C KL Y P E A R
Seedball Recipe
Sara Beckelman, Texas Master Naturalist, NT Chapter, 2006.
Adapted for educational purposes by Jane Bartosiewicz, Dallas County Master Gardener,
NT Master Naturalist
Ingredients:
3 parts fine humus which includes microbes (I use Hu-More, which I purchase at Calloway's.)
1 part seeds (Usually collected from the area or close by the area where you want to put out the
seedballs. Local ecotype seeds promise more seed germination than non-local ecotype seeds.)
5 parts red clay, “Ranger Red” (Fine, ceramic clay.) (I use Red Art clay purchased from Trinity Ceramics, located at 9016 Diplomacy, off Regal Row, south of 183.) ph: 214-631-0540. Approximately
$20.00/50 lb.bag.
2 parts water
Mixing Instructions:
Put humus in medium-sized bucket
Add seeds and mix well to coat the seeds with humus.
Add Clay and mix well to distribute the seeds and humus evenly through-out the mixture.
Add 1 or 1.5 parts of water and mix well.
Add remaining water slowly until correct consistency is reached. Mixture should be moist and easily
formed into a ball. If too dry, the molecules in the clay will not line up to form a secure cover for the
seeds and the seedball will crumble easily. If too wet, it will take longer for the molecules in the clay
to set up and get firm. Choose a happy medium.
Making the Seedballs:
Pinch off enough clay to make a ball about ½ inch or smaller in diameter.
Roll in your hands with slight to moderate pressure. Roll until you feel the seedball firm up and it has
a smooth outside surface. Then, keep rolling for another 30 seconds. If your mixture dries out too
much and crumbles when you try to roll it, you can add more water and mix into mixture like kneading bread.
If you are making seed balls by yourself, you can lay a wet paper towel over the mixture to keep it
moist longer.
You can close up the mixture in plastic and keep it to finish later. However, try to complete the seedballs from a mixture within a couple of days. If you wait 3 or 4 days to a week, the seeds will start
germinating.
If making seedballs to put out on a slope you can make them somewhat flatter than round so they
will not roll down the incline.
(Continued on page 5)
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T H E P R I C KL Y P E A R
(Continued from page 4)
The reason for the size of the seed balls is that there can be anywhere from 30 to 150 seeds in a
½ inch diameter seedball, depending on the size of the seed being used. Seeds such as bluebonnet
seeds are large and a seedball would only hold about 10-15 seeds. The average is about 50-60 seeds
per ½ inch diameter seedball. Seedballs wil be thrown out or sown at the rate of about 1 per square
foot. Since it is unlikely that 50-60 plants can grow in one square foot, you would be wasting seeds by
making larger seedballs. Also, a larger seedball will take longer to disintegrate.
Also, I do not use sand in my seedballs. They become too hard and very difficult to melt when it
rains. The idea behind seedballs is that Mother Nature takes care of the seedballs and you do not have
to do anything except make them. The seedball protects the seeds from birds and others who would eat
them. When it rains heavily for several days, the clay will melt and just barely cover the seeds that are
mixed with humus, a perfect growing medium for the seeds.
Texas Seed Sources
These are only some of many wildflower seed sources.
NATIVE AMERICAN SEED COMPANY - www.seedsource.com
ph: 1-800-728-4043
Bill and Jan Neiman can do wonders but they need correct information. Ask them for advice. They are
very knowledgeable.
TURNER SEEDS - www.turnerseed.com
ph: 1-800-722-8616
JACKSON BROS FEED & SEED – 3818 S Treadaway Blvd, Abilene; 691-1110
Be smart, you will need to know what type of soil the seeds will go into - caliche, blackland prairie, cross
timbers (sandy); sun or shade, moist or dry.
TIPS
(Adapted from Jane Bartosiewicz, 2006, Master Gardner, Master Naturalist)
A seed ball contains all the essential ingredients for seed germination except water.
Seed balls remain dormant until they are sufficiently watered and outside temperatures have warmed
enough for germination.
Seed balls may be placed in the garden anytime
Distribute 1 seed ball/sq. ft.
Seed balls can be stored in a dry, cool place for up to 3 years before planting
Do not bury seed balls
Do not break up the balls-- they are more successful if kept intact.
Place in an area with well-drained soil.
Seed Balls may be placed in container gardens or directly in the garden.
(Submitted by Judy Hetherington)
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T H E P R I C KL Y P E A R
February Nextbox Workdays!
Since the Texas Bluebird Society needed more nestboxes in their inventory for all the spring festivals and presentations and the Hetheringtons are spending most of
March and April in Australia, another batch of 500 nestboxes was ordered in late January. Seems we’re always
scheduling bluebird nestbox assembly days on the weekends that Cherrie-Lee Phillip has Reserves, so Cherrie-Lee
made the trip to Bronte on February 13th to assist with the
cutting and drilling of the nestbox pieces.
Cherrie-Lee was a big help with drilling the door
holes in the fronts. She also did a great job with the logistics of moving & stacking the pieces as Brian cut them up.
It was a good day and we accomplished a lot.
We had our second 2011 nestbox assembly day in
the Big Country Hall on February 27th. The afternoon
started out with a hiccup when the assembly jigs were left in
Bronte. As I made an extra ―quick‖ trip to Bronte, Carol
Danko arrived early and helped Brian and our friend Bob Houck put the small screws for the Van Ert traps in
the fronts. The other Master Naturalists coming to help were Jimmy Shipp, Joy Harsh, Jean Dotson and
Bruce Kreitler. While I was gone, the team attached the sides and doors to all the fronts. They were just taking a break as I arrived back with the jigs.
Even with this change in routine, we were able to assemble around 255 nestboxes in just over 4
hours. Excellent effort put in by everyone!
The Texas Bluebird Society is most grateful to the Big Country Master Naturalists for their assistance
in helping to spread bluebirds across Texas…. One nestbox at a time.
Submitted by Judy Hetherington
FRONTIER TEXAS ―TEXAS DAY‖ SUMMARY
The booth at Frontier Texas was very successful. I spoke with 62 adults and 65 kids
about Texas Nature. There was high interest in the Master Naturalists, though, by verbal questioning. No one requested more details by leaving their contact info.
The kids were asking lots of questions, but I found myself centering on the Monarch
Butterfly and Backyard Habitats. I believe the event is worthwhile and look forward to
doing it again.
(Submitted by Shannon Roysden)
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T H E P R I C KL Y P E A R
Native Plant of the Month: Engelmann Daisy
Engelmannia pinnatifida (Member of the Asteraceae Family)
The Engelmann Daisy is also known as the ―Cutleaf Daisy‖ due to the shape of its leaves, which are a single leaf cut
nearly to the midrib in broad divisions (pinnatifid). The alternate leaves are 6-12‖ long at the base, becoming smaller higher up
the stem. The stems and leaves are covered with rather stiff hairs.
The plant was named for George Engelmann (1809-1884), a physician and botanist who was born in Germany but
settled in Saint Louis. Engelmann traveled extensively in Texas, and many plants are named after him. The Engelmannia genus is monotypic, meaning that there is only a single species.
The Engelmann Daisy is one of the few wildflowers that are blooming this spring and this is due to its deep, strong
taproot which allows it to reach moisture even with our drought. The plant grows 6-24‖, depending on rainfall. This picture was
taken May 2010 when we had the winter rains. The plants this year are much smaller but are one of the few bright spots in the
fields and on the roadsides.
The flowers resemble the sunflower but have the
characteristics of the daisies in that the blooms close
up at night and open in the sunlight.
The flowers have 8 rays which are fertile and 3toothed & disk flowers which are infertile. The seeds
are ―floaters,‖ light seeds that use wind, rain, and
swollen streams to disperse.
Judy Hetherington
This daisy does very well in gardens as a background
plant. In your fields, it can be mowed from June on as
long as your mower is higher than the rosette. It can grow
in full sun to part shade and needs no additional watering
after it is established.
Sally & Andy Wasowski
Submitted by Judy Hetherington
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T H E P R I C KL Y P E A R
Rattlesnake Awareness
Spring is here again. And along with
the warmer temperatures come a wide variety
of wildlife waking up from a period of winter
dormancy. Among these critters are rattlesnakes, which thrive in the warmth.
Rattlesnakes are ectothermic, or coldblooded, meaning they regulate their body
temperature by using the surrounding environment. So, during the winter, they retreat into
dens underground to keep from freezing and
come back out in the spring to bask in the sun.
Rattlesnakes have a bad reputation because of the venomous bite they can inflict.
They are often misunderstood and feared because of this. Yes, rattlesnakes can be very
dangerous, as can any wild animal. But they
truly are amazing animals if you allow yourself
to get over the fear and learn a little bit about
them.
Diamondback Rattlesnake (baby)
There are a number of things to keep in mind during this time of year, when snakes start moving
around, searching for food and a mate. One is to simply be aware of your surroundings. Always watch
where you step and where you put your fingers. Keep the area around your house free from clutter. Snakes
will hide in just about anything and the more you make available to them, the more likely you will attract them.
Also, avoid leaving food lying around. The food
will attract rodents, like mice and rats, which
will attract predators that eat them, especially
snakes.
One very important thing to understand is that
snakes will not attack you unless you provoke
them to do so. Snakes will bite for two reasons: to kill their prey or in self defense.
Snakes do not want to confront human beings.
They have learned to be cautious of us, and for
good reason as we have been persecuting
them for hundreds of years.
Diamondback Rattlesnake
If you encounter a rattlesnake in the wild, stay
calm. Quick motions tend to startle the rattlesnake, which make it feel threatened. All you
have to do is slowly walk away from it. That’s
all. Admire it from a safe distance if you wish,
but don’t try and pick it up or kill it. Just leave it
alone. Most bites occur when a person is
either messing with it or trying to kill it.
(Continued on page 9)
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T H E P R I C KL Y P E A R
(Continued from page 8)
Rattlesnake Awareness
Western Massasauga Ratttlesnake (range North Central Texas —
found in Callahan Co.)
Although accidental bites do occur, they are very rare. If you leave the rattlesnake alone and are
careful of what you are doing, you will be just fine.
Rattlesnakes may or may not rattle when you get too close. Snakes cannot hear, but are very good at
sensing vibrations so they usually know when we are coming long before we can see them. When they do
rattle, it is just a warning. It does not mean they are going to attack, but you probably shouldn’t get any
closer. They are just letting you know of their presence, which is actually very nice of them!
By far the most important way to prevent a bad encounter is through proper education and awareness.
We should especially be educating our children about snakes. We often hear parents telling their children
that snakes are ―disgusting‖ and ―dangerous,‖ instilling that fear in them. Instead of teaching them to be
afraid of snakes, teach them to appreciate and respect them as representatives of Earth’s tremendous wildlife
diversity. There are a lot of fascinating animals to learn about and all of them, including rattlesnakes, play a
vital role in a healthy ecosystem.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jeremy Wilson or Sarah Strom-Kieschnick –
Herpetologists at (404) 663-4959 or (325) 529-6599 or [email protected]
(Submitted by Sarah Strom-Kieschnick and written by Jeremy Wilson)
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Rodney’s Corner
Bird of the Month:
Black-crested Titmouse
(Baeolophus atricristatus)
A bird that resides from Northeastern Mexico to Texas. I have been
tortured by this bird for about ten years. Every spring when I was out
in the woods, I would hear a bird with a very distinctive call. Well I
finally found out what it was, thanks to the Cornell bird website. Go
to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website and look it up — listen to
the sound — I bet you have heard this bird also. This Titmouse lives
in oak forests, oak scrub savannahs, and may show up in town. It eats
insects and seeds. It will nest in holes in trees.
Fish of the Month Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus osseus)
— quite a poetic name
Probably the most common gar in Texas. Its range is from the Rio
Grande up to Minnesota and east to the Atlantic Ocean. It will pretty
much eat anything that does not eat it (sounds like a coyote). The Texas
record is 9 lbs 12.8 ounces, which is also the world record.
Phrase of the Month:
"Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny" — something I heard in my freshman zoology class
— individual development repeats race history.
(Submitted by Rodney Sturdivant)
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The Post Oak: Humble and Admirable
As a tree person, I think that one of the more unusual and individualistic trees that grows in the Big Country region is the
post oak (Quercus stellata). I grew up in Callahan County, so even before I knew very much about trees, I had a real acquaintance with post oaks. The Big Country is on the western edge of a region that tree people like myself refer to as the
post oak savannah, so there are a lot of these trees scattered throughout our area, and Callahan County has quite a few of
them.
While post oaks don't reach the massive sizes that live oaks and bur oaks are capable of, under the right conditions they
can still become very big trees.
Post oaks are slow growing, deciduous, roughly barked trees, whose foliage usually has much less distinct lobes when
compared to red oaks or even white oaks. The majority of post oaks develop with a single main center leader, but since
they have a tendency to sprout and grow in close proximity to each other, they don't always have a classic upright shape.
As I have never seen one successfully do it, they apparently do not have the ability to grow nearly sideways to escape
their nearby larger neighbors like live oaks do.
The post oaks are interesting to me because they seem to be the hardheads of the local tree world. These plants seem to
prefer the worst soils where even mesquite trees don't want to grow. Even the cedar trees appear to shy away from the
places where post oaks like to thrive. I find post oaks in dry deep sand and other poor soils that you wouldn't reasonably
expect to support trees. Another thing about these oaks is that they don't handle irrigation and fertilization well at all.
I have seen very few post oaks that were purposefully planted in landscapes, but the ones that I have seen have all failed
or are doing very poorly. Unlike their red oak cousins, post oaks don't appear to be able to utilize abundant water and
find it harmful. To some extent, this is also a trait of live oaks; you can overwater a young live oak to the point it drowns
although the larger live oaks can take that kind of treatment a little better.
Most of the time when people look at a large tree, they assume that it is quite old. As far as trees go, we tend to equate
large size to long age. The fact that lots of people who should know better use inflated numbers to talk about tree age
doesn't help.
I often look at trees where people tell me the particular large example that we are standing by must be really old. In fact,
a common phrase that people use is "This tree must have been here before the house was built." I find that train of
thought to be intriguing, because when I hear it, I'm often standing on a piece of property that I know was an open field
before it was developed. Sometimes we are looking at a species of tree that is almost incapable of living beyond forty
years, but the house was built in the forties or fifties.
On the other hand, when I'm on a property where there is a large post oak, I'm certain of two things: one, that tree was
almost certainly there before the house was, and, two, if it's a large post oak, it is indeed an old tree.
Since post oaks are a species of tree for which I never get to talk to the persons that planted them and I seldom get to observe them in landscaped yards, I have a very poor feel for the actual age of the individual trees and what their true
growth rate is. I have been personally acquainted with some individual specimens for over forty years and, by picture
comparison, they have not increased greatly in size during that forty years. Since they are big trees now, and they were
big trees forty years ago, that really makes me wonder about their true age.
While I find this tree an object of personal fascination and curiosity, the tree actually is a potentially large, semi-stately
tree that is capable of growing completely uncared for in dry, poor soil areas that can hardly support anything else. Those
factors alone make the humble post oak a tree worthy of admiration.
(Submitted by Bruce Keitler)
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Currently, Our Big Country Master Naturalists Chapter does NOT have any certified
Texas Amphibian Watchers with active Certification to conduct surveys for this important
Texas Parks and Wildlife program. On the next page is a brochure to answer any quick questions on the citizen science monitoring effort.
Now, more than ever, amphibians serve as excellent bio-indicators of the environment
in their habitats, both terrestrial and freshwater aquatic, ecosystems worldwide. Unfortunately, their ecosystems (as well as those of many other species of animals and plants) are
changing faster than many organisms can adapt, and the consequent extinction rate is at significantly higher than normal levels held throughout history of life on earth. Add in the alarming rate of malformations in some amphibian populations, and it seems amphibians may have
much to tell us about the quality of the environments around us!
The program is designed to involve volunteers of all ages and interest levels in gathering scientific data on species of concern in Texas through experiential learning. The goal of
the program is to enable long-term conservation of these species and appreciation among
Texas citizens.
We need at least 20 interested volunteers to receive this training workshop locally in
Abilene. The program is usually taught at night and lasts around 5-7 hours including a fieldtrip portion to a local wetlands (to hear frog/toad calls). We are also encouraged to advertise
in the local paper for more volunteers that may be interested. If there is any interest or questions, please contact Sarah Strom-Kieschnick at (404)663-4959 or
[email protected]
Please look for the Amphibian Watch brochure on the next page of this newsletter —
the brochure summarizes the program and is a FAQ guide to see if you fit the criteria for participation,
(Submitted by Sarah Strom-Kieschnick)
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T H E P R I C KL Y P E A R
(Submitted by Sarah Strom-Kieschnick)
Established in 2010 at the Fort Worth Zoo through a grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the
Texas Turtle Watch is a citizen science program developed to collect data on three native turtle species whose population
numbers are poorly understood. Staff from the Fort Worth Zoo, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Fort Worth Nature Center, Texas Master Naturalists, Texas State University, Turtle Survival Alliance, and the University of Texas - Arlington have partnered to develop this wildlife watch program. After collecting numbers and trends over time, this data will directly contribute to an understanding of native turtle species.
Through the Texas Turtle Watch program, local citizens of all ages are provided a unique opportunity to explore the
world around them while contributing to local conservation efforts. The more watchers we train, the more data we’ll receive
that will benefit research on the Lone Star State’s turtle populations.
TTW is looking for the ―birdwatcher type crowd‖ to travel around and report anything they see. Data on private
lands will be especially valuable. They have designed this to be an activity that individuals can do in their local park or a
group can do on an outing to a local lake or wildlife refuge. The only supplies a volunteer might need would be binoculars
and a reptile field guide.
TTW wants to expand the program to include more species, but needs to establish a good base of volunteers to
ensure the success of a larger effort.
They appreciate your help; the turtles of Texas need you! The program is free, and they will travel here to train us
on species identification, conservation threats, data collection etc. We need a core group of members like our BCMN or
volunteers/birders you may know that would be interested!
Help us by contacting Sarah Strom-Kieschnick at (404)663-4959 or
[email protected] to get started and become a Texas Turtle Watcher. She has been in contact with the Organization and will schedule a presentation for us.
(Article submitted by Sarah Strom-Kieschnick with permission by Amanda Hackney, TTW Program Coordinator, Fort Worth Zoo Education Department)
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T H E P R I C KL Y P E A R
Fascinating Facts about Horned Lizard (a.k.a. Horny Toad)
Thirteen species of horned lizards are found in North America. They
once occurred from southern Canada to Guatemala and Arkansas to the Pacific Coast. Horned lizards live from sea level to 10,000 ft. elevation in a variety of arid and semi-arid environments from oak-pine woodlands to thorn
scrubs deserts
Texas has three species of the lizards, and they are easily distinguishable when compared side by side. The Roundtail Horned Lizard lives in
the western one-third of the state and prefers rocky areas. The Mountain
Short-Horned Lizard may be found in the higher elevations of the forests of
the Davis and Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas. The third species, the
Texas Horned Lizard, is the most common and most familiar. It may be found
just about all over Texas, but has disappeared from most of East Texas.
As with any animal that spends most of its life on the ground, the horned lizards are susceptible to predation.
Snakes, mammals, and birds are common predators. Another of the lizard’s enemies is also its favorite food. The lizard’s main food is Harvester Ants (Big Red Ants). An adult lizard will swallow whole 70 to 100 ants each day. Rarely do
the ants attack in large numbers, but enough stings can kill the horned lizard. Other food sources included termites, spiders, worms, insects, other native ants, and sowbugs (which are similar to pillbugs.)
Horned Lizard droppings (also known as scat) can be found near ant beds. Scat is very distinct and will be 1/4 to
1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches in length. The scat will be dark brown/black with uric acid tip (white tip).
When you examine the scat closely you will usually find all kinds of ant body parts.
Biologists believe Texas Horned Lizards may live for five to eight years.
The Texas Horned Lizard does have some special weapons for defense. Because of its coloring (gray, brown,
light brown, splotches of red and yellow), horned lizards blend easily into their surroundings. They can also brighten or
darken their skin tones. In fact the Roundtail Horned Lizard is known as a rock mimic. The Texas Horned Lizard does
have horns that look scary and make it difficult for some animals to swallow the lizard. The lizards have the ability to flatten out their body to almost twice the normal width or intake air and puff up their body to look like a spiny balloon. Eight
of the horned lizard species have the unique ability to shoot blood from their eye sockets. When the lizard feels threatened it will fill the conjunctival sac in the eye socket and then squirt the blood up to 4 feet in the direction of the intruder.
Some lizards will open their mouth and hiss like a snake. Some females, after laying and burying their eggs, will guard
the nest for about 24 hours, charging an enemy and ramming it in an attempt to stop the intruder.
Seven species reproduce by laying eggs (oviparous) and six species give birth to living (viviparous). As a reptile,
horned lizards are ―solar powered‖ and much of their activity is dictated by the temperature. They are not very active below 75 degrees and above 100 degrees. The Texas Horned Lizard will lay 12 to 50 eggs in a hole six to eight inches
deep which occurs soon after hibernation. Depending on the soil temperature the baby lizards will be hatched in 5 to 9
weeks. The babies at birth are about 3/4 inch in length. The Mountain Short Horned Lizards give birth to live young. The
female will birth a baby in a drop of fluid and then move forward and make another deposit until she has birthed the entire litter. The baby horned lizards are called hatchlings.
It is believed by Wildlife Biologists that horned lizards need about 5 to 6 acres for their habitat and they do not
mind sharing their area with other lizards and other species.
The largest Texas Horned Lizard on record measured just over 7 inches from tip of snout to tip of tail. Total
length of most lizards ranges from less than 1 inch to over 6 inches in size; however most lizards are in the 4-inch range.
Lizards are most frequently sighted May through September. Most young lizards are seen in July and August. There are
a few winter sightings. Most lizards are seen between in an 80 to 89 degree range .
Texas has always been fascinated with the horned lizards. In 1967 it was made illegal to keep horned lizards as
pets. In 1977 the Texas Horned Lizard and the Mountain Short-horned Lizards were placed on the states threatened
species list. In 1993, the Texas Legislature designated the Texas Horned Lizard as the official state reptile, after a committed group of school-age students petitioned the legislature.
Phil Watkins
Big Country Chapter Texas Master Naturalist
Member of the Horned Lizard Conservation Society
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T H E P R I C KL Y P E A R
The Prickly Pear is produced every two
months by
Big Country Chapter —
Texas Master Naturalist
Taylor County Extension Office
1982 Lytle Way
Abilene, TX 79602
To make comments or to suggest content for
future issues, please contact Mary Burrows by
email at [email protected]