Twenty-7 Texas horned lizards have actually hatched at the San Antonio Zoo, enhancing the population of the renowned reptile.
The zoo said it will launch the lizards into the wild later on this year.
The San Antonio Zoo belongs to the Texas Horned Lizard Coalition — the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Christian University and zoos in Fort Worth, Dallas, and somewhere else — which looks for to bring back Texas horned lizards to previously occupied environments.
The Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) is the state reptile of Texas. It was as soon as discovered throughout the majority of the state, however has actually vanished from about a 3rd of its historical variety. The lizards choose dry to semi-arid locations and their diet plan consists mainly of red harvester ants and other bugs. Horned lizard populations have actually decreased due to numerous aspects consisting of the results of intrusive types, fragmentation and environment loss, overuse of pesticides, and massive farming.
“We are thrilled about the progress we’ve made with the Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project,” says Tim Morrow, President & CEO of San Antonio Zoo. “The hatching of 27 baby lizards this season is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team. The addition of the new lizard labs, made possible by our generous donors, has quadrupled our capacity for breeding and caring for these iconic creatures. This expansion sets the stage for us to have an even greater impact on the survival of the Texas horned lizard species.”
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