The Texas horned lizard, an endangered native species, is slowly reclaiming part of its historic range.
Researchers with San Antonio Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research (CCR) have confirmed multiple rediscoveries of zoo-hatched lizards, including one animal that may represent the first wild-born offspring documented to date.
Texas horned lizards, the state’s official reptile and a treasured Texas symbol, have been in decline since the 1950s due to habitat loss and fragmentation, pesticides and invasive fire ants. The zoo’s reintroduction program breeds genetically diverse lizards and releases them onto a private ranch restored with native vegetation. To date, 340 lizards have been released.
The findings, made between April and early May, include three adult lizards located during routine monitoring. Two were matched to individuals hatched at the zoo, and a third lizard did not match any of the CCR’s photographic or genetic records spanning six years of releases.
The breakthrough came almost by accident. Bekky Muscher-Hodges, manager of the CCR, said she was collecting a scat sample on-site when she set down her sample vial to take a GPS photo.
“Three inches from my knee, there was a horned lizard in the grass,” she said. “We work with them every day, and this little lizard was just right there hiding in plain sight.”
That camouflaged reptile turned out to be a zoo-hatched juvenile released in 2025, and marked the first confirmed rediscovery from that cohort. A second adult was found days later on a neighboring property roughly a third of a mile from its release site. Muscher‑Hodges said the team has documented several rediscoveries over the years, but the frequency this spring stands out.
“If we found three within a three‑ or four‑week period, and humans only detect maybe 10% of horned lizards with our eyes, that’s pretty encouraging,” she said. “These were three separate adult animals.”
The third lizard, discovered May 7 by technician Brittany Nunn, could not be matched to any of the zoo’s belly‑spot photos. Genetic testing is underway at Texas Christian University to determine whether the unmatched lizard is the offspring of previously released animals.
“We’ve never had one that didn’t match anything in six years of releases,” Muscher‑Hodges said. “It’s great news … and if this lizard is offspring from ones that have been released out there, then it shows that it’s working.”
Muscher-Hodges said the recent rediscoveries indicate the habitat is functioning as intended.
“At least some of them are surviving, and if this one is wild-born, that’s even better,” she said. “It means the system is supporting them.”
Often called “horny toads,” the species’ disappearance has left a strong cultural imprint. Along with their crucial place in the local ecosystem, Muscher-Hodges said that their comeback will have a social impact as well.
“People really love these lizards because they grew up finding them,” she said. “They miss them, and they want to see them back the way they used to be.”
Tim Morrow, president and CEO of the San Antonio Zoo, said the rediscoveries reflect progress toward that goal.
“Reintroducing the Texas horned lizard is about restoring a piece of Texas heritage,” he said. “Seeing them out there, living wild lives again, is something every Texan can be proud of.”
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