ZooWeird 75

A doggerel series about odd or little-known animals.

Short-horned lizard. The short-horned lizard is a small lizard species that lives in North America, in Saskatchewan and Alberta Canada, through Montana, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and into Mexico through northeastern Sonora, Chihuahua, and Durango. As a first line of defense, they rely on their natural camouflage. If this fails, they inflate their bodies to double their original size, resembling a spiny balloon. They will also hiss and point their horns forward. As a last line of defense, they will squirt blood from ducts in the corners of their eyes. This not only confuses their potential predators giving them time to escape, but also repulses them, as the squirted blood contains a chemical that is noxious to dogs, wolves, and coyotes. Their aim is very accurate and can hit targets in a distance of up to a meter. (All animal info from http://www.strangeanimals.info/2011/11/short-horned-lizard-blood-squirting.html#ixzz4YJslS1dj)

They’re desert dwellers (no surprise)

But you should see their tricky eyes:

When they are threatened—have no doubt—

Then from their eyes their blood shoots out!

And that’s sufficient to deter

Whatever wants to injure her

Or him. So now I think I will

Determine how to gain this skill.

When list’ning to some creep, some crud,

I’d spray the dude with bright red blood—

Fresh from my newest weapon (eyes!)—

A way to scatter heinous guys!