Contrary to appearance, reflex bleeding is a voluntary defense rather than a lethal injury. The Texas horned lizard can shoot, on average, 2% of their body mass in blood. These lizards’ diets play a ...

When threatened, this lizard doesn’t run — it does something far more shocking. It shoots blood from its own eyes, aiming directly at predators to scare them away. This strange defense mechanism is ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. In the arid plains and rocky deserts of North America, a ...

When it comes to creative survival tactics in the animal kingdom, few creatures can compete with a small, spiky reptile that weaponizes its own blood. The greater short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma ...

Why they're awesome: Greater short-horned lizards have a squat, flat shape and short snouts, which makes them look more like amphibians than reptiles — hence the nickname "horny toads." But these ...

The next time you’re enjoying Montana’s great outdoors, be on the lookout for peculiar creatures with a bizarre defense mechanism — shooting blood out of their eyes. State wildlife officials want to ...

Out in the dry scrublands of the American West, a squat, spine-covered reptile spends its days nearly invisible against the sand, dust and stone. The greater short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi ...

Eastern Montana's short-horned lizard, also known as a horny toad, has a unique way to stay safe. The reptile can shoot blood out of its eyes.

(WGHP) — Meet the Texas horned lizard. Despite “Texas” being in their name, they have been found in North Carolina. These lizards are most active in very hot climates and can squirt blood out of their ...