Texas State Reptile

Although The Texas State Reptile has a ferocious appearance, it is by nature a very docile and gentle animal. The Native Americans considered Texas State Reptile to be very auspicious and regarded it a symbol of prosperity, happiness and good health. The Mimbres and the Anasagi, who were the American Indians settled in the Southwest, gave them prominence by painting horned lizards on their pottery. The Texas state reptile can also be seen in Oklahoma, New Mexico, parts of Arizona and Mexico, Kansas, Colorado and Texas. Lately the Texas state reptile has been categorized under ‘threatened species’, it being on the verge of extinction.

The Texas State Reptiles are fond of living in tunnels beneath the ground. So they are generally found in places where the soil or sand is not firm. Thus if you want to own one, do make special arrangements in the enclosure to ensure your pet ample of comfort.

The Texas State Reptile mainly feeds on harvester ants, grubs, beetles and isopods. Lately the breeds of fire ants have destroyed the harvest ants and scarcity of food has also become one of the main reasons of the extinction of this reptile. So if you are planning to own a Texas State Reptile, just pull up your socks to find the ideal diet of your pet.

On an average, the Texas state reptile is about 7 inches long with the body constituting of 2 to 4 inches. They are generally found in shades of tan, gray or light brown. They have a sharp nose and a flattened body. Several brown or yellow spots can be seen behind their head and a long white stripe runs down their back to their tail. They have spikes behind their heads and along the length of their body. On the head, these spikes appear like horns.

The Texas state reptile spends most of its time basking in the heat of the sun, chasing away predators and relishing harvest ants. So keep in mind that if you are planning to tame this reptile then a proper arrangement of direct sunlight along with ample of running space shall be there in the enclosure. They either dig their own holes or burrows or occupy the ones made by other animals and in your case; you’ll have to provide the reptile with ample of mud or sand to dig its own hole. The summer’s heat rejuvenates them and that is the time when they are most active.

Their defense mechanisms are unusual. On being threatened, they flatten their bodies and freeze. At times they camouflage themselves with the surroundings.

As this species is disappearing at an alarming rate, the mountain short-haired lizard and the Texas state reptile have been listed as protected which means that if anybody is found in possession of these reptiles, without a proper license, or is found selling or transporting them, he will be punished by law. If they are kept in captivity, there are very remote chances that they will survive as they need a lot of care and the slightest negligence can cause death so be careful before you move to a pet shop to own one.