Texas Horny Toad Ranch
Horny Toad Links
My Horny Toad Expert friend has some educational videos on the life of the horny toad... Check them out! (just click on the links below to pull them up from the SHL Wrangler Channel) Let's start with:
The Birth of A Herd
Two Minutes in a Life of a Baby Horny Toad
Saving Sol - Returning a Rehabed Horned Lizard back into his Native Soil
Here is a conglomerate of Other Links about the life of a horny toad under the official name:
http://wn.com/Horned_Toad_Short-Horned_Lizard_Phrynosoma_Hernandesi
How about:
Animal Planet, Fooled by Nature: The Horned Lizard
Texas Horned Lizard in the Wild, Eating Ants
Can You Find the Real Horny Toad?
My new friend, "Lunatic Randy" from "SHL Wrangler" is in his own Horny Toad Rescue and Conservation Business. He is passionate about these awesome reptiles and recently played a joke on me. He ordered 10 of our original plasma cut steel powder coated "Tiny Toads" magnets in multi-colors, and after I mailed them to him, he sent me an email asking about what happened to the 10th horny toad he ordered, sending me a picture attachment (see below). It was of 10 tiny horny toad lizards, but one was not the one I sent.... I immediately freaked... Now I was most sure but I had mailed him the correct ones, but I looked over the picture he sent me carefully, and apologized in the interim, stating, I was sorry and would get him his correct one in the mail ASAP...
Can you guess what he did by looking at the picture?
It took me a day to figure it out.... DUH! He is a Joker that Guy!
Can you guess what he did by looking at the picture?
It took me a day to figure it out.... DUH! He is a Joker that Guy!
Horny Toads and Metal Art Sculptures From the Texas Toad Ranch
There are actually 14 known species of horned lizards ranging from Arkansas to the Pacific Coast, and from British Columbia south to Guatemala. The largest is the Giant Horned Lizard, and the smallest is the Pygmy Horned Lizard. The Texas Horned Lizard is identified as Phrynosoma cornutum.
The horned lizard, aka horny toad has spiked scales and a fat body somewhat like the ones portrayed on our logo and TCU wall ornament above. The head is protected by a helmet of spikes and the back and sides are protected as well by smaller spikes. Thirty years ago the Texas horned toad was seen readily but now it is scarce and considered threatened due to modernization, imported fire ants, and insecticides. The native Americans respected the horny toad lizard at least a thousand or so years. Many tribes consider them magical and are considered good luck.
Texans are enamored with this wonderful archaic prehistoric looking lizard. We want to help promote public awareness of this great native horned lizard. It is against the law now to capture and keep these reptiles without special approval and the required training for their proper care. They do not seem to survive well in captivity and it is rare for them to breed in captivity.
There is a story of one horny toad who was captured in 1897 and placed in a historic building, the Eastland County Court House during it's cornerstone dedication by a justice of the peace along with a bible during construction. Thirty some years later, during remodeling & reconstruction, he was found in the wall with the bible, and when the horny toad was removed, he twitched a leg, and awoke from a long dormant sleep. Thusly he was named, OLD RIP. Unfortunately, his lifespan was short thereafter. He died one year later from pneumonia and was immortalized by embalming him & placing him in a velvet lined casket for puplic viewing in the Eastland County Court House. (He was not returned to the wild in the continued ignorance of man). The human race has to be educated in not keeping wild animals in captivity for our enjoyment.
Here is a Link to an article of the story with pictures of Old Rip
What can we do to help save the Texas horny toad? Enjoy him/her when you have the rare chance of actually seeing one in the wild. Take pictures! We have taken on the cause, My husband and a friend and fellow metal worker & designer have created their own plasma cut & powder coated Texas horny toad art!
Please Be Sure to Visit our Online Website aka "Texas Toad Ranch" via this link:
A Little Background Information
About our Horny Toad Metal Art
The unique sculptured horny toad metal art is originally designed & fabricated by Jimmy Neuman, and by Ron Gordon, my husband, a mechanical contractor with creative genius and engineering of mind boggling magnitude. They are able to materialize fantastic horny toad creations on our plasma cut machine and finish them each with colorful weather/wear resistant powder coating. So far we have:
- metal wall hangers also serving as yard & patio art,
- tiny toad lizard magnets,
- patio stands,
- wine bottle holders/aerators
- And Drum Roll Please.... Our Own Rendition of the TCU Horned Frog
If you Have Looked at the Pictures, Visited our Horny Toad Ranch Website and Desire To Purchase:
Click On the Web Store Link Below:
Many Styles and Types are Available for Sale Here:
Once Inside my Virtual Store of Antiques and Collectibles,
Click on the "Metal" Link in Categories on the left of the Home Page to Pull up the Plasma Cut Steel Horny Toad & Horned Frog Metal Art
If You Still Have Questions After Visiting the Sites,
You May Email Me @this address:
cgordon@texastoadranch.comThank You!
~!~
Other Links to Important Sites:
Tales from the Heart For the Abuse Survivor
@ my Blog Site: "Butterfly Spirit Tales"
Help the Animals
World Peace
