Ideas for Contributing to Horned Lizard Conservation 

"One thing to remember is to talk to the animals.  We are as much alive as we keep the Earth alive."  Chief Dan George.
​What you can do
  • Join HLCS and be an active member.  
  • Find ways to protect or create horned lizard habitat on private and public lands.​
  • Write local government authorities to promote the protection of horned lizards in their native habitat and to protect them from commercial exploitation.
  • Write state Fish and Game Wildlife departments to increase the horned lizard protection levels.
  • Donate funds to be used for research and education.  Go to our Store website and find the donation button or you can directly send a check to our P. O. Box.
  • Attend and give public presentations to local community groups to educate everyone about horned lizards.
  • If you see a horned lizard at a pet store (even online stores), ask the owner to see their papers on how they received that horned lizard.  It should not be a wild-caught horned lizard and should have come from a permitted and licensed breeder. You might also encourage that pet store owner to discontinue selling horned lizards as they are extremely difficult to keep as pets.
  • Write for our newsletter, Phrynosomatics and share your experiences.
  • Follow our Facebook page, Instagram page, and YouTube channel.
  • Build educational programs and displays for yourself to use in presentations or with instructions to share with others.  
  • Share your horned lizard experiences with your family, neighbors, and friends.
  • Contact HLCS is you have accidentally picked up a horned lizard and don't know what to do with it.
  • Contribute services or materials - we need everything from artists to zoologists!
  • Try not to pick up a horned lizard as it can cause stress and take photos of them in their native habitat only.  Most species are protected from being picked up and is considered illegal to do so.
​Researcher or Educator
  • Apply for a grant from HLCS for scientific research or outreach/public education purposes.
Landowners with horned lizards or near where they are found
  • Don't kill any harvester ants that are on or near your property and be very careful when spot-controlling fire ants that you are not harming any harvester ants
  • Encourage native grasses for the grass seed that harvester ants require. Limit overgrazing also.
  • Limit use of pesticides as they are very harmful to horned lizards
  • Create natural corridors with your neighbors for horned lizards to travel freely. It is important for the strength of the populations to have that genetic diversity.
  • Consider having big cats such as mountain lions and bobcats to roam on your property as they will help control the mesopredators that might feed on the horned lizards
Support the Zoos!
  • If you want to see them, there are some zoos that have them on exhibit.  But check with the zoo first to see if the horned lizard is still there.  They will be happy to take donations to help with their care.
          Zoos with horned lizards
If you find one in the wild
  • If you see one, please leave it where you found it!  That one horned lizard may be able to produce more offspring for future generations to see!
  • Record all observations of horned lizards in the wild to iNaturalist which is an online global database for sharing and locating biodiversity information. You will need a login to record observations.