Horned Lizards Released in Texas to Boost Shrinking Population
A team from the San Antonio Zoo released 50 Texas horned lizards into the wild in Blanco County on September 28 as part of a conservation program to bolster the survival of the reptile in south Texas.
Researchers at the zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research have previously released two other groups of the Texas horned lizard, the official state reptile.
While releasing this particular group, they also found horned lizard scat and other signs that the lizards previously released through the program in the area were thriving.
“We have seen evidence after each effort that lizards are alive and thriving on the landscape,” said Dr Andy Gluesenkamp, Director of the Center for Conservation and Research at the San Antonio Zoo.
Tim Morrow, President & CEO of the San Antonio Zoo, said, "God Bless Texas – what an incredible week it has been for our beloved Texas horned lizard.
“Dr Gluesenkamp and his team at the Center for Conservation & Research continue to work tirelessly on this project, and we are so proud to see their work making a difference to the landscape of Texas,” Morrow said. Credit: Chase Fountain, Texas Parks & Wildlife via Storyful
Video Transcript
- We are here working on our Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project and we are actually releasing lizards today, so very exciting day. We're putting our little babies that we've been raising the past couple of months out onto the landscape and letting them go.
- You're good. No.
- All right, video is hot.
- Hold on, little guy.
- I don't blame ya. Hold on. This one's like ready to go. Come on, little guy. You're allowed to go.
- [INAUDIBLE]
[LAUGHS]
- Perfect. And just anywhere right there.
- [LAUGHS]
- Good luck, little one.
Yeah, if you need- perfect. He was ready to go. Yeah.
- He said, I'm going.
- Exactly. I can already see some harvester ants. Hopefully that means we're close to a little trail of them. Good luck out there. I can move so easily in the sun too. I don't want to be in the sun. But that's not the same--
- We are here working on our Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project and we are actually releasing lizards today, so very exciting day. We're putting our little babies that we've been raising the past couple of months out onto the landscape and letting them go.
- You're good. No.
- All right. Video is hot.
- Hold on, little guy.
- I don't blame ya.
- Hold on. This one's like ready to go. Go on, little guy. You're allowed to go.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- [LAUGHS]
- Perfect. And just anywhere right there.
- [LAUGHS]
- Good luck, little one. Yeah,
- If you need-- perfect. He was-- ready to go. Yeah.
- He said, I'm going.
- Exactly. I can already see some harvester ants. Hopefully that means we're close to a little trail of them. Good luck out there. I can move so easily in the sun, too. I don't want to be in the sun.
- He said, I'd rather stay in the shade.
