Twenty-seven Texas horned lizards have hatched at the San Antonio Zoo, boosting the population of the iconic reptile.
The zoo said it will release the lizards into the wild later this year.
The San Antonio Zoo is part of the Texas Horned Lizard Coalition — the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Christian University and zoos in Fort Worth, Dallas, and elsewhere — which seeks to restore Texas horned lizards to formerly occupied habitats.
The Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) is the state reptile of Texas. It was once found throughout most of the state, but has disappeared from about a third of its historic range. The lizards prefer arid to semi-arid areas and their diet consists mostly of red harvester ants and other insects. Horned lizard populations have declined due to several factors including the effects of invasive species, fragmentation and habitat loss, overuse of pesticides, and large-scale agriculture.
“We are thrilled about the progress we’ve made with the Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project,” says Tim Morrow, President & CEO of San Antonio Zoo. “The hatching of 27 baby lizards this season is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team. The addition of the new lizard labs, made possible by our generous donors, has quadrupled our capacity for breeding and caring for these iconic creatures. This expansion sets the stage for us to have an even greater impact on the survival of the Texas horned lizard species.”