We first spied him when the weather started doing its best roaring furnace impression, perched just outside a large biting black ant mound, waiting for his next meal, his latest victim. He had been hibernating, buried in the sand, since last fall and was a very hungry boy. Ants are his favorite and needed food source and, with a flick of his long, sticky tongue, he was able to catch many, many ants out there in the big yard and has hung out with us and grown larger ever since. Rufus Scrimgeour likes it here at the Rancho Laurena Ant Diner.
Rufus is a Desert Horned Lizard, popularly known as a Horny Toad although he is not a toad at all. Unless you are an ant and my apologies if you are, he is a gentle sort who tolerates a light petting and seems just happy to be himself and blend in with the soil. He hangs out in his spot for a few hours each morning before he finds some shade under a shrub and then digs in for the night under the rocks and sand.
I have never witnessed his nighttime ritual but I hear it is a sight to behold. He sticks his nose in the sand like the blade of a plow and wriggles forward to create a short furrow. After flattening his body, he uses the spiny border of his sides in a shovel-like fashion to scoop and dig his way into the sand, sometimes 3 or 4 inches deep, and other times just leaving the top of his head and eyes exposed. I guess it depends on his mood. Now and then everyone likes to sleep on top of the covers.
When threatened, Rufus will fill his body with air like a puffer fish and wriggle around in an attempt to scratch his perceived predator with his horns. If he is truly terrified/ ticked off, he will shoot blood out of the corners of his eyes as far forward as five feet. Rufus doesn’t do this with us though. He thinks we’re cool, running the Ant Diner and all.
Rufus’ ancestors date back to the Paleozoic Era and were cousins to the Triceratops. The family resemblance is still there after all these millions of years, don’t you think?
We like our reptilian friend and will miss him come fall when he once again digs in for the winter. Thanks for dining with us, Rufus; we like your method of filling your belly and at the same time organically controlling the ant population. Truly Rufus.
Oh my gosh! We don't have anything quite as exotic as Rufus in our yard. Blood shooting out of the eyes must be quite a sight to see!
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2007 at 05:46 AM
OMG, you've seen Never Been Kissed.
A horny toad for ant control! Where can I get one? No matter how clean my kitchen is, the sugar ants come in through the million year old windows and march around lookin' for stuff. I wonder if one would stay in my yard (heh, I typed yarn)?
Posted by: Carrie | July 13, 2007 at 07:28 AM
Oh, a HORNY TOAD -- my all-time favorite reptile!!! We found them once in awhile when we lived in the panhandle of Texas; I wonder if those were the same variety? They really are pleasant little creatures....
Have you had your farm fix today? Get a good dose before heading to the Beach, Bunny. :-)
By the way, except for the afterthought pocket, I'm done with my sweater sampler. So I looked through The Sweater Workshop hoping to find a sweater made completely (body and arms) in rib (form-fitting yet slimming, you know) with no luck. Have you ever created such a thing? I thought I might just wing it, perhaps taking the ribbing up to the elbox on the sleeves and to just under the bust on the torso.
Posted by: Michelle | July 13, 2007 at 10:41 AM
I swear you are better than National Geographic!
Thank you for sharing!
Posted by: Margery | July 13, 2007 at 05:16 PM
We used to catch horny toads when I was a kid growing up near Pikes Peak in CO. I hadn't thought about (or seen a picture of one of) those for over 20 years! Thanks, great post
Posted by: Shepherdchik | July 15, 2007 at 02:40 PM