Introduction to Horned Lizards of North America"Horned 'toads' have long inspired curious humans, from ancient Indian rock artists and the earliest Spanish explorers to modern scientists. These lizards specialize on ants for food, employ distinctive defensive tactics for different enemies, arch their bodies to collect rainwater, and exhibit numerous other adaptations to arid environments. Wade Sherbrooke's wonderful book, packed with facts and personal insights, will give everyone from lay naturalists to seasoned field biologists a new appreciation for these magically bizarre animals."—Harry W. Greene, author of Snakes: The Evolution of Mystery in Nature "Written in language understandable by anyone, Sherbrooke's newly revised little book on horned lizards is an exceedingly useful reference that covers most of what is known about these interesting and unusual lizards."—Eric R. Pianka, author of The Lizard Man Speaks "Wade Sherbrooke has provided in this very readable book a concise introduction to the evolution and natural history of the horned lizards, their impact on human art, and their future in an increasingly human-dominated planet. No one has more first-hand knowledge of the life history of horned lizards than Dr. Sherbrooke, so this book represents more than a summary; Sherbrooke provides insight into the life and times of horned lizards as no one else could. Amateur and professional alike will find much to enjoy about this book."—Darrel Frost, American Museum of Natural History Praise for the first edition: "[This is] the horned lizard bible deluxe."—Coevolution |
Contents
Time and a Continent | 4 |
Hypothesized Relationships of Living Species | 19 |
Eight Species Found in the United States | 28 |
Five Species Found Only in Mexico | 52 |
Cycles of Activities | 74 |
Enemies and Defense | 109 |
Coming of Generations | 130 |
Of Humans and Lizards | 147 |
| 163 | |
Additional Captions | 170 |
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Common terms and phrases
adults animals ants areas Arizona body temperature Bull Horned Lizard burrow California Coast Horned Lizard color coronatum defense Desert Horned Lizard eggs eyes female Flat-tail Horned Lizard Giant Horned Lizard habitat hatch hibernation Hohokam Horned Lizard Phrynosoma HORNED LIZARD Pl Horned Lizard Range horned lizard species IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS inches in snout-to-vent larval lateral fringe scales Lizard Phrynosoma cornutum Lizard Phrynosoma hernandesi Lizard Phrynosoma mcallii Lizard Phrynosoma modestum Lizard Phrynosoma platyrhinos Lizard Phrynosoma solare male mating Mexico nematode nest North America northern patterns Phrynosoma mcallii Phrynosoma platyrhinos Plate predators prey Pygmy Horned Lizard Regal Horned Lizard Rock Horned Lizard Roundtail Horned Lizard row of fringe row of lateral scientific name Short-horned Lizard Short-horned Lizard Phrynosoma Short-tail Horned Lizard skin snake snout-to-vent length soil southern species of horned spines spiny subspecies surface tail Horned Lizard Texas Horned Lizard Thorny Devil tion vent ventral scales ventral scales keeled vertebrates