Seen a Horny Toad recently? (Lufkin, Alamo: college, parks, ceramic)

[David6767]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Texas Horned Toads seem to be becoming quite rare, most people I know haven't seen one in quite a few years. Do you still see any around your place?

I occasionally see them in my back yard in Lubbock County and whenever I want to show my grandkids I can always find them in the pastures on my dad's farm in Floyd County.

I'm not sure if there are as many as there were when I was growing up in the 60's. I gathered fifty or so to take with me on the National Boy Scout Jamboree. I kept them fed by building an old fashioned fly trap and putting the horned critters inside. I still have three of the eggs one of the females laid that I encased in plastic.

[GayleTX]

Horny toads were extrememly common in north Texas when I was growing up but haven't seen one in years. As someone mentioned earlier, I have heard it is because of the invasion of fire ants into this part of the world. We also now have a scarcity of rabbits for the same reason....and when I was a kid both cotton tail and jackrabbits were as common as sparrows.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by GayleTX

Horny toads were extrememly common in north Texas when I was growing up but haven't seen one in years. As someone mentioned earlier, I have heard it is because of the invasion of fire ants into this part of the world. We also now have a scarcity of rabbits for the same reason....and when I was a kid both cotton tail and jackrabbits were as common as sparrows.

We have bunnies in this neighborhood; coyotes and hawks and possums too.

[jtur88]

The last one I saw was maybe about 25 years ago. Highway rest area between Austin and Fort Worth, maybe about a hundred baby ones, about an inch long, all running around like they were from the same litter, right on the pavement around the picnic tables, had to be careful not to step on them. I haven't seen one since.

[Two4damoney]

12 years ago was the last time I saw any.

[lonestar2007]

Originally Posted by ETex2

We'd carry them around in a matchbox and "put them to sleep" by rubbing their tummy.
Lots of other lizards, esp. the ones that look somewhat like a horny toad but with a long tail.

We use to do the same with them. Also tied a sting around their neck and walked them. We'd name them and keep them for a few days and then turn them loose.

I got excited one day when I saw the lizard that looks so much like the horny toad. I really thought it was, then I saw the long tail and took a closer look at it and realized it was what I'd say, a very fat lizard. Close, but no cigar.

[TexasReb]

What a nice thread!

Like some of y'all say, we used to see them all the time. Where I was growing up, to see one, was just no big deal. In fact, sadly, we took them for granted.

I am going to tell a story (that some of y'all have heard before), that still makes me ashamed of myself. I got my first BB gun when I was 9, and naturally, I used it in ways I shouldn't have. One time, I shot and killed a "horney toad". for no other reason than that they were common place.

My daddy saw me do it, and came out and took my BB gun away, then whipped my a$$ good. If I ever deserved a good whoopin', I deserved that one. If I could go back in time, I would have kicked my own rear end for good measure. In retrospect, it was sorta like killing a mockingbird.

As a matter of Texas Trivia? How many remember the Legend of Old Rip?

[Rayedog]

I'm 28 and have never seen one. I grew up in different parts of Houston and I'm now living close to the TX/LA border. No horned toads for me.

[lonestar2007]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

As a matter of Texas Trivia? How many remember the Legend of Old Rip?

I do.

[ETex2]

Originally Posted by lonestar2007

I do.

Me too, and I didn't even have to google it.