A Little Bit More
The name “horned toad” is such a common term to many of us that you may find it difficult to switch to the correct “horned lizard” label. Whatever you end up calling it, just be sure you realize that this animal is a reptile, not an amphibian, despite its toad-like face.
There are 14 species of these lizards living from Arkansas in the east to the Pacific coast in the west and south to Guatemala. Horned lizards prefer hot, dry, sandy soils and this is the habitat they are found in within this large geographic area.
Horned lizards are known to be fond of ants but will eat other invertebrates too. It is their preference for ants that makes them especially poor pet material, despite their “cute” appearance. These lizards are not known for their quickness but slowly forage over an area looking for appropriate foods to eat.
Horned lizards have a couple of defenses against predation but their most common one is their ability to blend in with their surroundings. If necessary, they can also inflate their body and make themselves more difficult to swallow. Furthermore their spiny neck projections probably help dissuade predators too.
Activities
Science & English – Name Calling
Objectives: Clearer understanding of the limits of “labels”
Materials: Materials: Library, online access, or family discussion
Using a common name such as “horned toad” can create a misunderstanding of what kind of animal you’re talking about. But this isn’t an unusual case, many different kinds of organisms are poorly named and cause confusion.
Here are a few animals I came up with that have names that are misleading. You may want to share these with your students and then see if they can come up with some other names on their own that are also misleading. They can go to the library, online, or maybe it would be best for them to share this activity with family members and discuss this around the supper table. Have them come back to class and share what they’ve learned.
Students need to use the current misleading “label” and then make the correction as I’ve noted.
• Ladybug (really a beetle)
• Chameleon (an Anole in North America)
• Glass Snake (really a lizard)
• Locust (a cicada - grasshoppers are locusts)
• Mayfly (not a fly at all)
• Stonefly (not a fly at all)
• Dobson Fly (not a fly at all)
Key Concepts
Adaptations and Diversity, Identification, Predator/Prey Relationships
Questions
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