The Briefing Room

State Chapters => Texas => Topic started by: Sanguine on May 08, 2019, 07:04:58 pm

Title: For the first time, researchers find captive-bred horny toads that survived winter in the wild
Post by: Sanguine on May 08, 2019, 07:04:58 pm

Quote

For the first time ever, researchers have found captive-bred Texas horned lizard hatchlings alive after winter hibernation.

It's a big win for the state reptile, which has vanished from Texas landscapes over the past several decades.

New technology has allowed Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials to track the tiny hatchlings more accurately than ever. In the past, hatchlings were nearly impossible to track after release, and all died within a few months.

https://www.dallasnews.com/life/texana/2019/04/09/first-time-researchers-find-captive-bred-horny-toadsthat-survived-winter-wild (https://www.dallasnews.com/life/texana/2019/04/09/first-time-researchers-find-captive-bred-horny-toadsthat-survived-winter-wild)

I haven't seen any for years.

Title: Re: For the first time, researchers find captive-bred horny toads that survived winter in the wild
Post by: Wingnut on May 08, 2019, 07:24:11 pm

  Must have been TCU grad toads..

Title: Re: For the first time, researchers find captive-bred horny toads that survived winter in the wild
Post by: Idiot on May 08, 2019, 08:23:01 pm

Quote from: Sanguine on May 08, 2019, 07:04:58 pm

I haven't seen any for years.

I saw one a few years ago in the countryside.  I had guessed that the fire ants wiped them out.  We used to play with them as kids.  We'd catch one then rub it's stomach and put it to sleep.  I'm kind of partial to them, as my brother went to TCU...lol.

Title: Re: For the first time, researchers find captive-bred horny toads that survived winter in the wild
Post by: thackney on May 13, 2019, 01:17:50 pm

Quote from: mrpotatohead on May 08, 2019, 08:23:01 pm

I saw one a few years ago in the countryside.  I had guessed that the fire ants wiped them out.  We used to play with them as kids.  We'd catch one then rub it's stomach and put it to sleep.  I'm kind of partial to them, as my brother went to TCU...lol.

I believe fire ants hurt the population of the harvester ants which were horned frogs food.

http://archive.gosanangelo.com/news/wild-about-texas-fire-ants-rise-harms-texas-horned-lizard-ep-440591669-357182201.html (http://archive.gosanangelo.com/news/wild-about-texas-fire-ants-rise-harms-texas-horned-lizard-ep-440591669-357182201.html)