Horned Lizard Population Explosion?

[paulhubbard]

It seems like we see at least 2 or 3 "horney toads" (what we called `em growing up) on every hike where there's trees. When I was a kid growing up in Flagstaff we would see them occasionally, but not in the numbers we're seeing now. I've also noticed them in a lot of the recent photosets.

Are we just lucky to be seeing more of these cute little fellas, or are they getting more abundant?

[PLC92084]

Noticed two on my most recent hike (past weekend). First I've seen in the wild in 20+ years...

[PaleoRob]

Haven't seen any this year so far, and that's a first.

[azbackpackr]

I see them every time I go hiking in the pines.

[chumley]

Perhaps they are a species that is strongly affected by the extreme wildfire to the forests in the past 20 years or so? (vs. previous extreme use of suppression). Perhaps affecting either their primary predator, or conversely, one of their primary sources of food.

I don't know at all, just a thought.

[te_wa]

i think the life span is 6-7 years. being that we had a great, wet spring all of the bugs are booming and the grasshoppers should be coming in swarms any day.. the lizards are doing well so far as food goes. just another cycle, methinks.

my buddy Dennis could be of more help, as he is my database for all things herptology

[DarthStiller]

I think it's caused by global warming. :STP:

[cindyl]

I've seen two horned lizards this year, after never seeing them before. I've also seen way more rattlesnakes, too. But this could just be the law of averages, since I've been hiking and camping way more this year than ever before.

[joebartels]

I've seen 'em nearly every year around Payson and Prescott hikes in the summer.

[azbackpackr]

I used to pick the horned lizards up once in awhile, until one time my son said, "Mom! You're scaring him!"

[kevinweitzel75]

I haven't seen a single one since moving to the Phoenix area in 1990. Saw them all the time in Tucson, when I lived there.

[berkforbes]

I have noticed a lot more of them this year as opposed to any of the previous. Not sure what correlation could be made, possibly from the very wet winter we had?

[Alston_Neal]

My wife and I have noticed this also. On the San Fran peaks, the Rim, it's amazing.
Oh and yeah, a bumper crop of rattlers this year.

[joebartels]

Oh and yeah, a bumper crop of rattlers this year.

lol I've seen one this year, dozens in past years

[Alston_Neal]

Sometimes when we're bushwacking in a snakey area looking for sites, we carry old metal mop poles that we bang on the rocks.
This seems to keep the little devils away, but doesn't make for good wildlife spotting....duh!
But even the remarkable sighting of an ocelot or a jaguar would seem less significant with a rattlesnake stuck to my face.