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Phrynosomatics May 2011
On Saturday, April 9, 2011, the Second An-nual Milam County Na-ture Festival was held in Wilson-Ledbetter Park, Cameron, Texas. The El Camino Chapter of the Master Naturalists, the Texas AgriLife Exten-sion Service, and Texas Parks and Wildlife sponsor this wonder-ful nature festival. The mascot of the festival corresponded to the TMN certification pin. The pin for 2011 is a horned lizard, so the HLCS needed to be repre-sented. Horned lizard pins, horned lizard patch-es, our HLCS booth, and a talk on horned lizards by our own Carolyn Todd (which was dedicated to Carolyn Jess for her generous birthday contri-bution to the HLCS) were some of the highlights of the day. There were also superb exhibits on bluebirds, pollinators, archeology, knapping, and
PhrynosomaticsThe Newsletter of the Horned Lizard Conservation Society
Our purpose is to document and publicize the values and conservation needs of horned lizards, to promote horned lizard conservation projects, and to assist with horned lizard management initiatives throughout their ranges.
Volume 16, Issue No. 2 MAY 2011
Nature at its Best—The Milam County Nature Festival
by Bill Brooks with help from Lucy Coward and Carolyn Todd
Continued on page 3
wildflowers. Besides Carolyn’s horned lizard presentation, there were programs on reptiles by Bill Brooks, native grasses by Flo Oxley, and a talk on the El Camino Real by Joy Graham and Dr. Lucille Estel. The photo contest had some marvelous en-tries. Texas Parks & Wildlife brought one of their game trailers and showed off a 4-foot alligator, with a well
taped mouth. The Cameron Park Zoo in Waco brought a Texas native animal exhibit. The kids had plenty to do, too. There was a festival wide scavenger hunt, face painting, fish prints, animal tracks (where the kids got to take home their own plaster track copy), and an archeology pit. About 1,000 people attended on this lovely, but windy day.
The Lizard Queen herself, Lucy Coward; the new HLCS secretary, Beth Bendik; our merchanise chair, Bill Brooks; and a local high school helper manned the horned lizard booth. Carolyn Todd was in a booth right next door (so they could help out at the HLCS booth as needed) selling her “field studies”, wonderful digital prints of watercol-or paintings of Texas native reptiles, and Ruthann
Ruthann Panipinto and Carolyn Tood working hard and having fun at the HLCS booth.
Upcoming SurveysMemorial Day WeekendMay 28 - 30, 2011Rolling Plains of Texas (details on page 8)
Labor Day WeekendTo be announced
Phrynosomatics May 20112
President-Elect David Wojnowski, Ph.D.Assistant ProfessorUniversity of North TexasDepartment of Teaching,
Education & Administration1155 Union Circle #310740Denton, Texas 76203-5017 [email protected]
Treasurer Carolyn [email protected]
President J. Jill Heatley, DVM, MS, Dipl
ABVP (Avian), Dipl ACZM As-sociate Professor, Zoological Medicine
College of Veterinary Medicine,Texas A&M UniversityOffice: [email protected]
Secretary Beth BendikAustin, [email protected]
on the web at –– www.hornedlizards.org
National Board of Directors
Please Send Membership Applications or Requests for Information to:
HLCS P.O. Box 122 Austin, TX 78767
Colorado Contact Danny Martin Fort Collins, [email protected]
New MexicoContactTom McCainPO Box 53095 Albuquerque, NM [email protected]
Southern California ContactLester G. Milroy III14321 RicareeApple Valley, CA 92307(760) [email protected]
Texas Contact Lee Ann Linam Wildlife Diversity BranchTexas Parks & Wildlife Dept.200 Hoots Holler RdWimberley, TX [email protected]
Phrynosomatics Copy EditorLeslie [email protected]
Phrynosomatics Design EditorFannie [email protected]
Member Services Amy Trost604 Corral LaneAustin, Texas [email protected]
Director At LargeDanny MartinFort Collins, [email protected]
Phrynosomatics May 2011 3
Panipinto sold her reptile knick-knacks with help from Jill Steinle.
Please mark your calendar for the next Milam County Nature Festival to be held on April 14, 2012 in the beautiful Rockdale Fair Park, Rock-dale, Texas. For more information and lots more photos of the festival see the informative El Camino Real Master Naturalist web site, http://txmn.org/elcamino/naturefest/.
A group of more friendly and informed hosts would be hard to find and a good time was had by one and all. Many thanks go out to Don Travis for the fine photos.
Nature at its Best—The Milam County Nature Festival - continued from page 1
The HLCS display case showing different horned lizard features.
The HLCS sales table. Do you have your horned lizard t-shirt yet?
Lucy Coward and a high school helper are working the HLCS booth and explaining what horned lizards are to two interested guests.
Bill Brooks is presenting one of his wonderful talks on reptiles.
Lucy Coward working the HLCS booth. “Have I told you yet about the horned lizard?”
Phrynosomatics May 20114
Wes Anderson measuring environmental variables while doing horned lizard work. Photo taken by Robert Gundy last summer at Blue Mountain Peak Ranch in Mason, Texas.
By Leslie Nossaman
At the beginning of 2011 HLCS offered funding in three small grants to support horned lizard con-servation-based research. This year’s grant recipients are Wes Anderson, Stephanie Leland, and Meghan Lahti. Brief descriptions of their proposed work are found below.
We look forward to hearing of the results of these worthwhile projects by these three researchers!
2011 HLCS Grant Recipients
By Wes Anderson
Declines have been noted in Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) populations throughout much of its range for over forty years. Although this species receives protec-tion from governmental agencies in many states where it occurs, surveys indicate that popula-tions in many areas remain low and may still be declining. Several hypotheses for the causal factors behind these declines have been pro-posed. Unfortunately, most of these hypotheses remain largely untested.
As the potential impact of contaminants on Phrynosoma cornutum is not discussed in the literature, yet remains a hypothesis behind its decline, I believe it critical that this issue be addressed. I propose to test possible lizard exposure to two common, persistent classes of contaminants: metals and organochlorine pesti-cides. I intend to test dietary exposure to these contaminants by examining concentrations in Phrynosoma cornutum’s main prey item – ants.
Red harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus), from up to fifteen colonies collected at a military training facility in central Texas and up to four colonies collected from a nearby wildlife man-agement area, will be analyzed for the afore-mentioned contaminant classes. Results will help guide future research as we continue to investigate the cause of declines in this species.
The Decline of the Horned Lizard Population
Phrynosomatics May 2011 5
By Meghan Lahti
The San Luis Valley (Valley), Colorado is a unique geo-logic formation spanning over 20,000km2. The Valley is the result of the Rio Grande Rift formation, a geologic event that resulted in the spreading of the earth’s lithosphere and subse-quent formation of a rift valley that began during the Miocene (~26-5mya). Since the late Oligocene (~20-23mya), erod-ed materials and water have been filling the Valley floor that reaches maximum depth of 6,400m.
The Valley consists of five physiographic provinces based on the unique geology and topography. Within these prov-inces, there are various habi-tats and ecosystems including stable and active sand dunes, grassland, woodland, wetland, riparian, playa, and shrub-land.
Most species, particularly habitat specialists or those with reduced mobility, are presum-ably confined within the Valley because the mountain ranges that flank the Valley exceed 4,300m.
An endemic population of short-horned lizards (Phryno-soma hernandesi) inhabits the Valley. Although there are 13 other species of reptiles and amphibians that occur within the Valley, populations of P. hernandesi are unique and of particular interest because they
are significantly dwarfed. Males and females are both 30% smaller than populations sur-rounding the Valley.
Similarly, Valley populations are morphologically unique, having relatively smaller limb lengths and smaller, more rounded heads. The geologic history of the Valley, in addition to the divergent morphologies suggests that P. hernandesi in the Valley have unique evolu-tionary histories.
Preliminary genetic analyses us-ing ND4, a mitochondrial gene, indicate that these dwarfed lizards are indeed genetically distinct and they have been historically isolated in the Val-ley. Valley populations are over 8% divergent from populations outside the Valley, a distance of less than 10 air miles.
The distribution of genetic vari-ation and haplotypes across the landscape further suggests that lizards most likely mi-grated into the Valley from the southern end and have since diverged into sub-populations that correspond with the five physiographic provinces within the Valley. However, the genet-ic analyses remain inconclusive because samples along the west boundary of the Valley are lacking and data from only one mitochondrial gene is included.
The genus Phrynosoma is known to show significant discordance among nuclear, mitochondrial, and morpho-logical datasets, which further emphasizes the importance of integrating as much genetic (and morphological) informa-tion as possible when assess-
Horned lizards in the Valley are ~35% smaller than lizards outside the Valley. Museum specimens are useful for gathering additional morphological data that are often too difficult to obtain from a live lizard. (females on the left, males on the right; Valley lizards on the bottom, outside lizards on the top).
Understanding the Short-Horned Lizard in Colorado
Continued on page 6
Phrynosomatics May 20116
Understanding the Short-Horned Lizard in Colorado - continued from page 5
Royce Sharp, Beau Leland and Tom McCain at Tom’s shop in Albuquer-que, New Mexico during production of Where Did the Horny Toad Go?. Photo by Stefanie Leland
ing genetic variation and phylogenetic histories.
Funding will support travel costs to the few remaining study sites in southwest Colorado, additional primers for nuclear and mitochondrial genes, and sequencing costs. With assistance from volunteers, I will be able to increase sample sizes west of the Valley. I also plan to sequence nuclear and additional mitochondrial genes to better assess their evolutionary histories. With this information, I will be able to assess the genetic variation among Valley populations, their biogeographic histories within the Valley, and their current taxonomic status.
The Valley is experiencing a high rate of habitat loss due to development, land alteration, and invasive species and Phrynosoma is known to be highly sensitive to habitat loss and alteration. Quantifying the genetic variation and assessing the taxonomic status of these morphologically unique and dwarfed populations of P. hernandesi will determine the degree to which these popula-tions are unique. Information from this research
will also contribute further to our understanding of the biogeographic histories of species within the Valley as well as the evolution of Phrynoso-ma, particularly the short-horned clade.
Morphological measurements are also taken for all lizards and will help us determine whether there is congruence among the dwarfism and genetics of Valley lizards. Valley populations of lizards are morphologically distinct from populations outside the Valley in overall size, head dimensions, and limb proportions.
You Ought to be in PicturesBy Stefanie Leigh Leland
As small town girls from West-ern Oklahoma, my sister and I spent our summer days playing outside. On one of these hot
summer days we happened upon an adult horny toad. Cer-tainly this wasn’t my only child-hood encounter with horned lizards, but this memory stuck with me for many years.
A few years back I found my-self in a conver-sation with some friends about these peculiar looking crea-tures. We were saying things you’ve all heard before, “When I was a kid there were horny toads every-where” and “You
just don’t see them anymore” oh...and of course, “I wonder what happened to all the horny toads.” We all reached the conclusion that it had been an awfully long time since any of us had seen a horny toad. We had not thought of them in years and we wondered where they had all gone. The conver-sation ended with me stating, “I’m going to make a film about the disappearance of the horny toad.” This began my ongoing journey to tell the story of the Texas Horned Lizard. That film has since come to be known as, Where Did the Horny Toad Go?
Over the next several months researching the film became
Phrynosomatics May 2011 7
my main focus. I needed to locate biologists that could give me some insight to this lurking ques-tion. At this point I invested in some film equip-ment and recruited my talented husband, Beau Leland, as my camera operator, and a friend of mine, Royce Sharp, sound recordist. The pro-duction was in full swing.
For two summers we traveled all over the South-western United States conducting interviews. Along the way I came across other people that revealed different facets of the Texas Horned Lizard’s history. I could have never imagined the complexity that would emerge. As the film neared post production we began seeking fund-ing for additional costs. We have since received a grant from the Horned Lizard Conservation
Society and a few additional grants from local artist organizations along with financial support from friends and family.
This winter Beau and I began post production on the film and used the money we had raised to make partial payments to both the film’s musical composer, Steven Stark, and animator, Shawn Downey. I have since been collaborating with both Steven and Shawn on the style, tone, and mood of the film and we are nearing the end of post production. The film is starting to take shape with the addition of voice over, licensing of additional footage, acquiring supplemental photographs, sound mixing, and seeking additional funding for polishing Where Did the Horny Toad Go?
We aspire to create a film that will entertain yet educate people about the speculations for the decline of the Texas Horned Lizard. While raising people’s awareness to these issues we hope to give the audience vital information necessary for them to make behavioral changes in aiding not only horned lizard conservation, but conservation of all native species of wildlife.
We will be seeking different distribution outlets such as DVD, television, and educational for-mats in order to reach as many people as pos-sible. To learn more about the film or to see a short glimpse of the movie you can visit Jar of Grasshoppers Productions website at www.jarof-grasshoppers.com.
Wade Sherbrooke, Royce Sharp, and Beau Leland at the Southwestern Research Station in Portal, Arizona during production of Where Did the Horny Toad Go?
Royce Sharp and Beau Leland working up a Texas Horned Lizard at Matagorda Island, Texas during production of Where Did the Horny Toad Go? Photo by Stefanie Leland
Beau Leland, Stefanie Leland, and Royce Sharp have a celebratory “horny toad” after wrapping primary production of Where Did the Horny Toad Go?
Phrynosomatics May 20118
Please renew your annual HLCS membership!!!HLCS depends on its membership for its conservation and educational
presence in the community.Categories for annual memberships include:
Regular ........... $25Student or Senior ........... $10
Family ........... $25 Each additional family member ........... $10Contributing ........... $50Corporate ........... $250
Lifetime membership ........... $300The HLCS welcomes contributions in any amount you wish to submit and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
By Lee Ann Linam
The Horned Lizard Conservation Society will again offer field trips in Texas on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends this year. For Memorial Day weekend we’re headed back to the Roll-ing Plains of Texas, home of lots of red ants and red sand with Texas horned lizards to match!
We’ll start out on Saturday, May 28, in the late afternoon (about 5 p.m.) at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch located between Sweetwater
Spend Your Holidays with Horny Toadsand Snyder (near Roby), where we’ll assist the Dallas Zoo with some ongoing horned lizard research. We’ll continue the searches there on Sunday morning and wrap up just be-fore noon.
A working lunch is planned in Roby, where a HLCS board meeting will be held at the Sil-ver Star Café. From there we’ll continue north to the Matador Wildlife Management Area just north of Paducah, where we’ll meet Chip Ruthven, one of the leading herp researchers
at TPWD, and assist him in some horned lizards surveys on a very pretty WMA located on the Pease River.
We’ll con-tinue the surveys on the Matador
on Monday morning before everyone heads back home about noon.
Regarding arrangements, primitive tent camping is avail-able on the Quail Research Ranch on Saturday night. Basic restrooms are available, but no outdoor fires will be allowed. Electricity for RVs is also avail-able. There is a small motel in Roby (Roby Motor Inn—325-776-1000), or hotels are avail-able in Sweetwater, about 30 miles south of the Quail Re-search Ranch, or in Snyder, about 20 miles west of the Ranch. On Sunday night camp-ing with primitive restroom facilities is available at the Matador. RVs are welcome, but no electricity is available. Hunt-ers Lodge in Paducah (806-492-2167) is a recommended nearby motel.
If interested, please contact Lee Ann Linam ([email protected]) no later than May 20. Maps and additional information will be provided at a later date.Sagebrush savannah.
Phrynosomatics May 2011 9
Member Highlight—Darren and Jenny PfefferBy Darren Pfeffer
Hello. My name is Darren Pfeffer and in 1990, my wife, Jenny, and I moved to Albu-querque, New Mexico from New York state. We fell in love with the tranquil weather and the beautiful desert vistas. I also went to work for a small pewter casting shop and was intrigued by the line of horned lizard jewelry.
Jenny and I found horned lizards fascinating and re-searched all we could about these awesome creatures. Until then we thought they were a myth and friends and family back east didn’t really believe in their existence!
Jenny and I decided to buy the pewter casting business (Toad-land) in 1995 and also found it fascinating that so many people loved horned lizards as much as we did. Our horned lizard merchandise assortment grew as we learned more and more about them and got more customer requests for new and different horned lizard items. We also discovered the Horned Lizard Conservation Society (HLCS) and became lifetime members.
We hiked the mountain trails where people claimed to have spotted horned lizards and we spent much of our free time seeking them out and observ-ing them in their natural envi-ronment which was not always
easy because of their scarcity.
We vend at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and our horned lizard items are such a huge attraction for reptile lovers of all ages.
It is especially exciting for us hearing ev-eryone’s very personal sto-ries about their experiences growing up with horned lizards. It is also a thrill for us to en-lighten not only people from the U.S. about horned lizards, but to educate people from all over the world.
We have people come into our small retail outlet thinking that we sell live horned lizards and they want to buy them as pets. We have a pamphlet that we give to them that explains the reasons NOT to keep them in captivity. We also hand out HLCS information to the public to introduce them to this won-derful organization of people,
like us, who care about horned lizards’ well-being. It feels so great to teach someone about them—we feel like we are giv-ing a little something back.
The HLCS carries a lot of our merchandise and this helps raise funds to support the orga-nization.
Answer key to page 10.
Answer key to page 11.
1-F, 2-D, 3-G, 4-E, 5-C, 6-A, 7-B
Phrynosomatics May 201110
Answers on page 9
Phrynosomatics May 2011 11
Can You Match the Photo and Common Name to the Scientific Name?
1. Female Mexican Plateau Horned Liz-ard in Mexico by Lee Ann Linam
7 Texas Horned Lizard by Lee Ann Linam
6. Giant Horned Lizard in Mexi-co by Jackson Shedd
3. Regal Horned Lizard by Melissa Amarello
4. Greater Short-Horned Lizard by Mark McClelland
5. Coast Horned Lizard by Jack-son Shedd
2. Pygmy Short-Horned Lizard by Jack-son Shedd
___ A. Phrynosoma asio
___ B. Phrynosoma cornutum
___ C. Phrynosoma coronatum
___ D. Phrynosoma douglasii
___ E. Phrynosoma hernandesi
___ F. Phrynosoma orbiculare
___ G. Phrynosoma solare
Answers can be found in the 20th Anniversary issue from last fall and on page 9 of this issue. All photos taken from the inside of the back and front covers of the 20th Anniversary issue.
Return Service Requested
PLEASE JOIN US! Students/Seniors: $10; Regular: $25; Contributing: $50; Corporate: $250; Lifetime: $300Families: $25 for the first person and $10 for each additional member
HLCS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contibutions are deductible to the extent allowable by law.Printed on Recycled Paper
Table of ContentsNature at its Best—The Milam County Nature Festival . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . pages 1, 3 Bill Brooks with help from Lucy Coward and Carolyn Todd 2011 HLCS Grant Recipients . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . . pages 4 Leslie NossamanThe Decline of the Horned Lizard Population . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. page 4 Wes AndersonUnderstanding the Short-Horned Lizard in Colorado . . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. pages 5 - 6 Megan LahtiYou Ought to be in Pictures . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. pages 6 - 7 Stefanie Leigh LelandSpend Your Holidays with Horny Toads.. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. page 8 Lee Ann LinamMember Spotlight: Darren and Jenny Pfeffer . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. page 9 Darren PfefferWhat did you learn in this issue? . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . . page 10 Fannie MessecCan You Match the Photo and the Common Name to the Scientific Name? . . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. page 11 Fannie Messec
Phrynosomatics is now sent electronically.
Phrynosomatics May 2011
