Don’t Mess with the Texas Horned Lizard

Рет қаралды 121,710

6 жыл бұрын

This vicious-looking guy is a Texas horned lizard. They’re defensive critters, with the horns to prove it. Frequently preyed upon by other animals, their distinct coloration and ability to inflate or flatten their bodies allow these lizards to hide in plain sight. As a last defense, they will strike their enemies with a stream of blood shot from their eyes. Sadly, due to Texas’s rapid urbanization, their numbers in the wild have dropped drastically.
SUBSCRIBE: goo.gl/vR6Acb
This story is a part of our Planet Earth series. From mammals to insects and birds to reptiles, we share this great big world with all manner of creatures, large and small. Come with us to faraway places as we explore our great big planet and meet some of its wildest inhabitants.
Got a story idea for us? Shoot us an email at hey [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com
Follow us behind the scenes on Instagram: goo.gl/2KABeX
Make our acquaintance on Facebook: goo.gl/Vn0XIZ
Give us a shout on Twitter: goo.gl/sY1GLY
Come hang with us on Vimeo: goo.gl/T0OzjV
Visit our world directly: www.greatbigstory.com

Пікірлер: 174

@JustinY. 6 жыл бұрын

"They shoot blood out of their eyes" You can't get any more metal than that

@jimmyshousevideos 6 жыл бұрын

Quaglium Quagnarr I don't know how he does it either. I'm bookmarking this one's channel so I can compare it to the next one I see

@Eyeless_jeff 6 жыл бұрын

Justin Y. raining blood

@rain1fy 6 жыл бұрын

I’m pretty sure he has some sort of bot liking his comments multiple times. That’s why he never leaves comments below his own.

@JustinY. 6 жыл бұрын

Or maybe because I get hundreds of replies and I comment dozens of times, so I don't reply to my own comment? It takes too much time to respond to every single comment I make.

@rain1fy 6 жыл бұрын

Justin Y. If it takes so long replying to comments why do you comment on every single KZfaq video

@rash8153 6 жыл бұрын

Mess with gecko, *you get the pecko*

@atotalmistake1238 5 жыл бұрын

I saw that meme you stole it

@piggugudu1327 6 жыл бұрын

Looks so adorable but is actually a really angry pancake

@LJdaentertainer 6 жыл бұрын

It's basically a turtle without a fully-formed shell

@CGApor 6 жыл бұрын

A pointy pancake that shoots ketchup out of its eyes

@Madronaxyz 5 жыл бұрын

I grew up playing with these lizards. Just like a chicken, when you hold them with their belly up and give them a tummy rub, they fall asleep.

@DujiBuji 5 жыл бұрын

I think it is more the other way around.

@luci.1140 4 жыл бұрын

It’s CHONK

@ModestVejar 6 жыл бұрын

Used to see them everywhere in west Texas, now they’re super rare, I moved back to midland 6 years and still haven’t seen one in the wild.

@ray1995mon 2 жыл бұрын

Caught one in my house 3 miles from tue Texas state line in Anthony

@KingStix 6 жыл бұрын

Did anyone else notice this? Their best defense against Prey 00:40 ??

@griffingrove821 6 жыл бұрын

There is a hiking trail that features deer lizard and the Texas horn toad lizard and it’s right next to my house

@mygreenfroggy 6 жыл бұрын

You find those a lot in Oklahoma, too, or used too. I would play with them as a child and then take them home to my mom's garden as they ate bugs. They are some of the neatest critters around!

@mrslinkydragon9910 6 жыл бұрын

Ruth Beaty not every species shoot blood. They are pretty hard to care for too

@grindstone4910 6 жыл бұрын

They're around here. I've seen some on Tinker AFB.

@MrHulltech2 5 жыл бұрын

Used to see them all the time when I was a kid. Probably haven't seen one in close to a decade now.

@wowthatsprettycoolhuh 6 жыл бұрын

This lizard is a hardcore little pal and I love it

@Pro1er 6 жыл бұрын

I remember back in the mid '60s these were popular pets.

@kensanity178 3 жыл бұрын

The Texas short horned lizard does not squirt blood out of its eyes. That is a myth, and I love the myth. This lizard squirts the contents of its stomach out of its eyes: digested red harvester ants. I discovered this by examining the "blood" squirted out of the eyes of three specimens, and in all three cases I observed ant body parts.

@kevinr3638 3 жыл бұрын

used to see them everyday in the 80s I haven't seen one in years my wife just found one today and we released it

@vivianstidham9596 2 жыл бұрын

I remember as a kid playing with the horny toad. They were everywhere, not anymore. I miss them & fireflies. I can even remember trantula spiders in our yards or driving down country roads. There all gone. I lived out in the country south of the DFW area! That area doesn't look the same anymore either. It's pretty much a city now. So sad! I am very thankful I got to grow up in the country around farmers and lots of fields and creeks. It was a kids paradise! I love Texas! 🇨🇱

@MartinTabanag 6 жыл бұрын

They look like dragons!

@samanphagurha 6 жыл бұрын

I love your channel ..... i can watch it all day if i dont have to work

@legendre007 6 жыл бұрын

So cute. 😊🦎

@darrasmith7196 6 жыл бұрын

Lol I chose this animal for my Adaptations Investigation at the moment! ❤️ Very interesting creature...☺️

@houndlifevlogs1055 6 жыл бұрын

That is so gorgeous!

@skgt24 6 жыл бұрын

When I did reptile surveys on these guys the ranger that I helped with surveing told me that not only habitat loss played a major part but also Red Imported Fire Ants taking over and pushing out native ants. The horned lizards source of food 😓

@Madronaxyz 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this information. Lyle above said it was fire ants. Since we called the native ants fire ants when I was a kid 50 years ago, I thought his remark was wrong. I hope they can be saved. They are really neat little critters.

@JustinAbroad 5 жыл бұрын

We have tons of these in central texas

@hiaezakmi3341 6 жыл бұрын

Really love these

@eton5541 6 жыл бұрын

I thought it was a turtle 4 a moment

@sagansrun2932 6 жыл бұрын

My son. Now 37.. use to catch these in our yard and play with them when he was 4 yrs old + . He would not hurt them. He would go out and find them. There were lots of little ones.. about 2.5 inches long. Then let them go without hurting them. We never kept them. In a box etc..

@iliveinsideyourhouse1367 6 жыл бұрын

@aiksi5605 6 жыл бұрын

I live inside your house Exactly this.

@broj2371 6 жыл бұрын

Ever heard one scream? I'm trying to find a video lol

@user-if8ds5cr2n Жыл бұрын

The fire ants killed them off. We had them everywhere in East Texas when I was growing up. We played with them all the time. Never once got sprayed on!

@tanner4214 6 жыл бұрын

Yes

@christianotter0528 6 жыл бұрын

Go Frogs!

@thunderplunder1013 6 жыл бұрын

Lol they look like lizard frogs when they puff up

@FlynnAlek 6 жыл бұрын

A completely harmless animal? Yeah I’m gonna mess with it

@HoneyMike 6 жыл бұрын

This thing is fun to hold

@Blue_Anzu 6 жыл бұрын

I like how you say it's frequently preyed on, then directly afterwards say about it's camouflage. Must not be the best camouflage

@widdershins8837 6 жыл бұрын

I had a book a a toddler about animal eyes. I never forgot this one. 😐

@jack0pumpkinn141 3 жыл бұрын

Of course it’s from Texas This is my fav lizard

@vivianstidham9596 2 жыл бұрын

Me too!

@atomicwendy 6 жыл бұрын

I had one as a pet when I was a kid. my mam-maw painted the horns bright pink with nail polish :^)

@OrganicTrash 4 жыл бұрын

wtf??

@annaflores5294 6 жыл бұрын

This was in the book Holes and it was named the Yellow spotted lizard

@deadchannel332 4 жыл бұрын

I love horned lizard. And the best parts is they keep them as pets.

@Wraithninja1 3 жыл бұрын

I wish I could have one as a pet, but I hear they don't make good pets, and that keeping them as pets is illegal.

@durpddurke4633 6 жыл бұрын

I thought it was a bearded dragon at first.

@freezer81 5 жыл бұрын

Durp D Durke same I saw one on a trail wondering how a bearded dragon got in California when it was just one of these.

@destinyhaines3816 3 жыл бұрын

I had no idea that lizards could shoot blood out of their eyes.

@kensanity178 Жыл бұрын

Sir the cannot squirt blood out of their eyes. It's the contents of their stomach: digested red harvester ants.

@lasigna0212 6 жыл бұрын

Why is this lizard in "On the brink" if its conservation status is "Least Concern"?

@laffodile1636 6 жыл бұрын

LaSigna 02 People have a habit of not caring until it's actually in danger so maybe this is a warning?

@lasigna0212 6 жыл бұрын

Rafael Medina I think you're right

@meenamyte 6 жыл бұрын

Well first of all those conservation status's don't always reflect the current status of the species because a lot of legislation/proof has to go into getting it changed, because changing stuff costs money. And it can take yeeeeaars sometimes. A lot can change in so many years. There's still dramatically fewer lizards than there used to be and a big issue is that their primary food source is also on the decline.

@plijuh123 6 жыл бұрын

Because while they're currently safe, they are very, very rapidly losing their territory. They used to be a common sight in many places but haven't been seen in recent years due to constant population and crop expansion.

@dylankim1984 6 жыл бұрын

Lizard? Don't you mean Mark Zuckerberg.

@jdh023 6 жыл бұрын

You didn't mention if you turn one over in your hand and rub their belly...they basically go to sleep. I've also never seen one shoot blood out of their eyes and I've had hundreds as a kid. Not saying it's wrong, I've just never seen it.

@perfectaxis4855 4 жыл бұрын

If you’re interested, I believe the Slow Mo Guys made a video on it if

@kensanity178 Жыл бұрын

I had dozens of them for pets when I was a kid. I saw one squirt blood out of its eyes on three separate occasions. I had a microscope, so I observed the "blood" under the microscope. It was digested red harvester ants, with ant body parts in it.

@robertacosta1293 5 жыл бұрын

This is as Texas as it gets

@fhartless2116 6 жыл бұрын

wait what

@PhillBrush 3 жыл бұрын

no way urbanization is the only cause of horned lizard demise :(

@hafizan.7158 6 жыл бұрын

Hi.. do more cool stuff about Malaysia Tnx for making my day better

@BandEater 6 жыл бұрын

him cute

@squirrelgod4079 6 жыл бұрын

I wonder what the blood tastes like 🤔

@kensanity178 Жыл бұрын

It tastes like ants, because that's what it is, not blood.

@nuclear_blade1876 6 жыл бұрын

I love them i caught a decent amount of course i let them go afterwards

@redhattytyjc3990 6 жыл бұрын

There's also the "Jesus Christ Lizard" which can literally run on water with two legs.

@harrybalzack4451 6 жыл бұрын

That's what she said...

@mahikantha 6 жыл бұрын

every thing big in texas

@adrian_zombturtle148 6 жыл бұрын

Fat *

@laffodile1636 6 жыл бұрын

Adrian_ Zombturtle *Pancaked

@PiltdownSuperman 2 жыл бұрын

To quote Yosemite Sam, "Great horny toads!"

@raphaello5898 6 жыл бұрын

everything is bigger in Texas?

@PaCerii 6 жыл бұрын

What about the Thorny Devil from Australia?

@Cappa_got_fligth 6 жыл бұрын

Don’t mess with spiky pancake

@servicemoodles3947 6 жыл бұрын

But there so cute I need one in my life

@Kevin-rw4yw 4 жыл бұрын

Illegal to own.

@matthewgaming878 6 жыл бұрын

AHHHH HELP I HAVE BLOOD ALL OVER MY FACE

@amykastelic878 5 жыл бұрын

Why couldn't the video catch the horned lizard spray blood out of his/her eyes

@kittycats2827 6 жыл бұрын

I’m into evolution , but how do you evolve into squirting blood into another animals eye as a defense/ genetic mutation ?

@kensanity178 Жыл бұрын

Actually, they evolved to be able to squirt the contents of their stomach out of their eyes, not blood. Digested red harvester ants looks like blood.

@an_orange_fruit1743 6 жыл бұрын

Yeah I’d like to order 10000 horned lizards FBI can’t touch me know ! >:)

@KadenD12345 6 жыл бұрын

I want one

@llNaughtll 6 жыл бұрын

None ever says don't mess with texass

@dumbshit-topic8310 3 жыл бұрын

Thicc boi

@datnguyenthe8300 6 жыл бұрын

0:41 You mean defence against "predators" right?

@Al-of3zp 4 жыл бұрын

I came here for blood!

@zoecreates9776 6 жыл бұрын

The horned lizard is the Wyoming state reptile aka ware I’m from

@ethanritter9090 4 жыл бұрын

he's a pretty boy.

@Thatmauiwowie 6 жыл бұрын

Is this from the movie holes ?

@2007rina 6 жыл бұрын

that mauiwowie yess this is what I was going to comment, I'm sure the ones in holes had been painted blue though.

@Thatmauiwowie 6 жыл бұрын

Haha yes I agree ! I thought they looked familiar.great movie :-)

@EChacon 6 жыл бұрын

2007rina Actually the Lizards in the movie Holes were portrayed as Bearded Dragons.

@LuckyCoinFrog 6 жыл бұрын

Yep they used Bearded Dragons in the movie for the ones on people and sitting around. They were painted with pet safe paints for the seven spots. When I was younger I owned a Beardy from the same breeder they worked with. Bearded dragons are originally from Australia and do look a lot like bigger longer Horny Toads.

@servicemoodles3947 6 жыл бұрын

that mauiwowie and they said they were poisness

@tam_2454 6 жыл бұрын

neat

@ArbiterBrick 6 жыл бұрын

Y’all forgot about fire ants

@had5709 6 жыл бұрын

@xetical4648 6 жыл бұрын

Wow nice 3 views came out 1 second ago

@WolfJett 6 жыл бұрын

It’s shoots blood out of its eyes! Cool, show me. .... K

@kensanity178 Жыл бұрын

Yes, it does, but bnb it's not blood, its digested red harvester ants, the contents of its stomach.

@juandiegosanchez3747 4 жыл бұрын

I got one

@santigodinez8417 6 жыл бұрын

@rixon2532 6 жыл бұрын

#LizardForNewRhino

@rockysheep2294 6 жыл бұрын

Its soooo fucking cute :3

@jaygriffin1853 6 жыл бұрын

How much can I it get for??

@thomasbss295 3 жыл бұрын

Jangan Main-main dengan Kadal Bertanduk Texas

@nearsightedborzoli3415 6 жыл бұрын

hoi, nice vid

@wilkersatomicnetworks3096 6 жыл бұрын

Ahhhhhhhhhhh

@lorenzomaximo1818 5 жыл бұрын

Holy horny toads these little guys need to be saved what can we do to help? There's such a likeable little lizard. Where is Mister Lizzard. Oh he's out in the yard.

@danar6848 6 жыл бұрын

Cute :D

@carlcarandang4155 6 жыл бұрын

Just joking

@bimbo7762 6 жыл бұрын

Blood out of it's eyes? Eeewwww

@kensanity178 Жыл бұрын

No, it's not blood, its digested Red harvester ants.

@math3809 2 жыл бұрын

@ryancassel3733 6 жыл бұрын

Pretty sure it’s a horn toad not a lizard

@scary8261 6 жыл бұрын

I’m comment 21 which are you?

@francispena2818 6 жыл бұрын

"Cringe"

@iloveeveryone8611 6 жыл бұрын

Not a fan of this style from Great Big Story. They have great narration, but it has the feeling of a less informative and lower quality DeepLook video. Also, horned lizards do their best to shoot the mouth to ward off canine and feline predators to give off the impression that they taste bad.

@bananana6380 6 жыл бұрын

Founder: hmmm... we can’t go anywhere and we need to make a video. What should I do? Executive: I know! Let’s do something patriotic! Founder: then let’s do Texas cause guns. Executive: what shoots with a gun and is quite wierd? Founder: don’t worry about the guns. The spiky lizard can shoot out life juice from its eyes. That’s even better!