SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Zoo has rescued 30 Texas horned lizards, including 26 hatchlings, from a property set for agricultural work as part of an ongoing effort to restore the native species.
The zoo’s Center for Conservation & Research collected the lizards after a private landowner discovered the animals in a field that was being prepared for agricultural use and contacted the center, according to the zoo.
The rescue is part of the Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project, which works with researchers, wildlife officials, and private landowners to protect and restore populations of the species across Texas.
Texas horned lizards, commonly called “horny toads,” have experienced significant population declines because of habitat loss, pesticide use and invasive species, including red imported fire ants.
Bekky Muscher-Hodges, manager of the Center for Conservation & Research, said the rescued lizards will also provide new genetics for the zoo’s reintroduction program.
“The lizards from their property will contribute new genetics to the Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project,” Muscher-Hodges said. “Texans helping Texans secure a future for a Texas icon.”
The rescue effort is expected to continue in September, when the center’s team plans to return to the property several times to search for additional horned lizards before agricultural work begins.
The project works as part of the Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project, a partnership between the San Antonio Zoo, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Zoo Miami, and private landowners.
The rescued lizards will eventually support efforts to restore populations of the species in the wild.