Feeding Habits of the Horned Lizard

"Horned lizard" is a term used to describe a number of species in the phrynosomatidae family. They have spines on their bodies made from scales and horns on the head which have a bony core. Of the world's 14 horned lizard species, eight are native to North America, of which the Texas horned lizard is the most common. Horned lizards inhabit desert regions around the world, but all have similar feeding habits.

  1. Food Sources

    • Horned lizards of all types live primarily on insects and insect larvae --- and more specifically ants. Some species of horned lizard live exclusively on an ant diet. For example, the regale horned lizard (phrynosoma solare), which is common in Arizona, has a diet made up of 90 percent harvester ants. Horned lizards must eat a large quantity of ants, as the majority of an ant's body is made up of indigestible chitin. Crickets, beetles and other insects are also horned lizard fare.

    Predatory Behavior

    • Horned lizards are by no means hunting predators, but they are also not scavengers. Like most lizards, they will refuse dead insects. They prefer to lay in wait near ant nests in rocky and sandy areas. With their natural camouflage protecting them, they use sticky tongues to capture the ants. Horned lizards have shorter teeth and reduced bone structure in the mouth in comparison with lizards that grab prey with their jaws.

    Defense Mechanisms

    • Some ants, including harvester ants, can bite potential predators and inject a potent venom. This has no effect on the throat or digestive system of horned lizards, but swarms of ants can fend off horned lizards and have even been known to kill them.

    Water

    • Like most animals that live in dry and arid conditions, horned lizards require very little water. The moisture they get from eating insects is sufficient, although species living in prairies and foothills will also eat some vegetation that works as a food source and adds moisture to their diet.