Miami zoo celebrates first-ever hatching of threatened horned lizards

It’s their moment in the sun.

Zoo Miami successfully hatched 71 Texas horned lizards as part of a pioneering satellite project.

The zoo collaborated with the Center for Conservation & Research at San Antonio Zoo to produce the hatchlings under human care for the Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project, the zoo announced Tuesday.

Horned lizards – which are sometimes referred to as “horned frogs” – are the official state lizard of Texas, where they are threatened and protected by the law.

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It’s illegal to touch them or pick them up.

The hatchlings at Zoo Miami will eventually be taken back to Texas, where they will be released at selected sites as part of the reintroduction scheme.

The first eggs were laid at Zoo Miami at the end of June, the zoo said.

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The first hatching occurred on Aug. 9, followed by seven more in quick succession.

The tiny hatchlings are small enough to fit on a quarter, the zoo said.

They are being “carefully monitored and fed fruit flies and small insect larvae until they are stable for transport,” the media release explained.

Several other eggs are also still incubating.

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When they are fully grown, the lizards will be between 3 to 5 inches in length.

They normally inhabit dry grasslands and deserts, and their scaly skin is adapted to absorbing water from dew and sand.

The Texas horned lizard population has decreased by over 30% in 40 years due to damage to their natural habitats, invasive species, and the proliferation of pesticides.

Their main food source is harvester ants, which have declined due to invasive fire ants and pesticide use.

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