Horney toads!

[Scott Tschirhart]

I’m so happy to see these again!

[GunnyMack]

They are neat and beneficial critters.
You say 'happy to see them again'? Something we are missing?

[bmtshooter]

Nice. I haven't run across one in many moons.

[BobM]

It can tell you which way to go.

[Bill in Oregon]

We have them here in southern New Mexico. Had them in the Rolling Plains of Texas, too. The Comanches revered them.

[Scott Tschirhart]

In my part of the country west of San Antonio they used to be plentiful. The foire ants killed off their food supply with was the big red ants.

The drought has now killed off the fire ants. The red ants are back and a little west of me the fire ants are making a comeback.

[samsi]

Haven't seen one this year that I recall although they are around. I've always thought they look like a tiny dinosaur.

[Farmerjohn]

Thanks for that Scott!! Took me back 80yrs to a better time and place, 410 East Champion Street in Edinburg Texas. My grandma lived there and I spent a lot of summers there. She lived on the edge of town and had a small fruit orchard and my job was shooting the Green Jays and big old black birds out of the fruit trees with a Benjamin Pump, those two birds were rough on the grapefruit and oranges. The Horned Toads were everywhere, I would always bring several back to Arkansas when I came home and turned them loose at the house but they never got established..... John

[GunnyMack]

I knew they were any eaters, I didn't realize that the fire ants preyed on other ants this reducing the available prey items for the horney toads.
Some borax and sugar mix sprinkled around the fire ant hills might kill them off?

[Bruce Scott]

I’m so happy to see these again!

Looks similar to our thorny devils.

[Bill in Oregon]

Bruce, he looks like one of ours except he has been going to the gym.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Cool little critters.

[samsi]

Bruce, he looks like one of ours except he has been going to the gym.

Funny, and true!

[Paladin]

This one was in the yard two months ago.

Horned Toad 29 Jul.jpg