In the Park's Permanent Collection

From time to time Tohono Chul Park will showcase pieces from the Park's Permanent Collection. Our Collection houses more than 250 mostly Native American fine crafts, including pottery, baskets, weavings and carvings.


"Regal Horned Lizard"
Artist: Dave Stone
8'' tall, 43" wide and 77" long
Donated by Richard and Connie Imig
2005.1.1

The Horned Lizard is an interesting creature; it is often confused with other animals because of its physical characteristics and habits. They are called horned lizards because of the horns that adorn their head and temples, tail and sides. These horns make the lizard look dangerous, but he is in fact quite harmless. They eat mostly ants, which is rare among lizards. They will also eat other invertebrates, such as beetles or grasshoppers.

Horned Lizards are often called “horned toads” because of their wide, toad-like bodies but are in fact reptiles. Calling it by its slang name, “horny toad” can be confusing, since there actually is a toad that naturally grows horns.  Reptiles depend on the environment to control body temperature, and they are at home when it is hot. They become more active, the warmer it gets outside. When it gets too hot for them, they will retreat to the shade, but mostly they enjoy lounging on rocks in the sun. They do not enjoy the cold, and hibernate in the fall, only emerging after the spring sun has reached a pleasantly hot temperature. When they hibernate, they bury themselves by digging their nose in the sand. They then flatten their body and use their spines to scoop their way into a small hole. They are hidden well because the Horned Lizard’s wide body is well adapted to camouflage. They have spiny skin and tails which make them look ferocious and allow them to blend into the rocky surroundings.

Some species are as long as 6 inches, but most are less than 5 inches in length. If threatened or attacked, the Horned Lizard can inflate their bodies, which make them appear to be a spiny balloon. Their size will most likely scare off predators. They can also use their camouflaged body to their advantage, by running into the sand and then crouching down, blending into the ground and making the predator believe that they have disappeared. If they feel that they cannot escape attack, horned lizards will squirt blood from their eyes. This blood seems to be distasteful to predators, and many times they will leave the lizard alone.

Horned lizards are only found in the western portion of the US and Mexico, and most likely, the species of horned lizard that would be found in Tucson is the Southern Desert Horned Lizard, which inhabits the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. Many Native American tribes in the Southwest such as the Hohokam and Anasazi used horned toad symbols in their artwork and told stories of their special powers. Frogs and Toads are thought to have connections to water, and may have been symbols for rain.

In 1990 in Austin , TX , a group of citizens formed the Horned Lizard Conservation Society. They are a non-profit organization whose goal is to protect and research Horned Lizards. The Horned Lizard is a very interesting animal; it, and all other desert animals, deserves to be treated with respect. The government also believes in the conservation of the Horned Toad. They are protected by Arizona law, and it is illegal to capture or keep them, since they have a hard time living in captivity. It is also the state reptile of Texas .

The “Regal Horned Lizard” sculpture, which is located in our Desert Living Courtyard, has an interesting history with the Park. Local artist Dave Stone created this piece over several months in 1995. It was created at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum , while visitors watched the process. The Regal Horned Lizard was made from Ferro-cement reinforced with steel wire and mesh, stained with cement stains, and without sealant. The sculpture is larger than life and very detailed. The sculpture was created to be a monument to the Horned Lizard. It was exhibited at TCP in the “Creepy, Crawly, Wild and Wooly exhibit from May 20- July 25, 1999 . Richard and Connie Imig bought it and displayed it in their yard, then donated it back to the Park in 2005. It is currently on display in the Desert Living Courtyard. 

Lazaroff, David J., Rosen, Philip C., Lowe Jr., Charles H.Amphibians, Reptiles, and Their Habitats at Sabino Canyon . Tucson : University of Arizona Press, 2006

Merlin, Pinau.A Field Guide to Desert Holes.Tucson: Arizona Sonora Museum Press, 2003

Stebbins, Robert C. Western Reptiles and Amphibians. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003

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