in seventh grade, there was a horned lizard picture in my science textbook, and that picture was what started my love for reptiles. its nice to see a video made about them
@@ClintsReptiles Excellent. They were playing Warframe and a centipede monster came up, which they called a millipede, so I had to explain the differences. They thought I was a nerd, it was great!
I’m glad you brought this up this year in my state Oklahoma we found a lot of horned lizards around and I had to tell a lot of people that they could not keep it because it is very difficult to keep a wild horned lizard in captivity
They are the kind of lizard you catch, keep in a Rubbermaid tub for a few days to observe, and let back into the wild. Used to do it all the time as a kid before they became really rare around the area. Still have a few harvester ant nests on the property we don't touch just in case they are around.
Growing up we had a "pet" horned lizard! We called them Horney toads. I loved our "pet" so much! We grew up in the desert so we saw them all the time. One time we caught one and kept it in our greenhouse in a tank. We had a BUNCH of different ant colonies on our property, so we would go outside every day and harvest a bunch of ants for him to eat! We had it for a very long time until we had to move and we had to set him free
My grandma was telling me my mom had found one and she let her keep it. She didn't have it long before it went missing. While later my grandma found its skeleton hanging off my mom's clothing rack, poor thing. But to this day my grandma loves horny toads. Doesn't like any other lizards or creatures, just those
When I was a small kid, I actually captured 3 of these guys near my home on the Rio Grande, and I thought I could keep them just like my bearded dragon. RIP to those guys. Lessons learned.
It’s so fun to see a video on horned lizards. There’s a big problem with people poaching them in my area to keep as pets, especially since most die of starvation in captivity, so I’m glad you talked about how they made bad pets. I hope this discourages people from taking them from the wild ;~;
As soon as I got the notification for this video I was so excited. I thought to myself this is going to be so rad. I love your videos you make my Saturday every time you post!
I used to catch both Dessert and Mexican Horned Toads all the time when I lived in New Mexico. Kept them for a couple days at a time and would release them. I had a Mexican that I kept captive for a year until we moved to higher and cooler altitudes. Ended up releasing him as well.
Suggestions: Rubber boa, best pet snake? Fox snake, best pet snake? Komodo dragon, best pet lizard? Dumerils monitor, best pet lizard? Paradise tree snake, best pet snake?
First time I went to the US I saw a bunch of these in the wild and thought they were beardies! I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day, these guys are so awesome
I just want to say thank you for making these videos, I got a Rad pet moroccan uromastyx today (named reggie) And I would have never discovered there existence I’d it wasn’t for your videos Keep up the good work!
Loving this sleek new format with the bubbles for links and shout outs looks super nice and professional! My friend and I were just talking about how you never see horned lizards anymore around here anyway like we did when we were children. Just tons of blue bellies and sometimes alligator lizards but no horned lizards or as we always called them for some reason horny toads. Also loving the bloopers next to the rad/stinking rad fans credits.
The herping highlight of my life was seeing a thorny devil while I was hiking around the base of Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Australia. Despite my many trips to the American southwest, I have yet to see a horned lizard, but I’ll get one eventually. Great video!
At the big reptile expo in Daytona Beach captive born horned lizards were available for a low price, along with the formic acid supplement and these lizards were eagerly eating small crickets. So they're out there if you want them. For me, there are so many other cool lizards. But for someone who wants them, they are available. Just do some research.
I grew up with a pet Horned Toad (Lizard) named Spike. He was wild caught by our neighbor in the Mojave desert, and we kept him for 6 years before he died of old age. When we got him, he was already full grown, and the expected life span in captivity was only a few months, probably because of the harvester ants. We recently caught a juvenile of a different species up in Oregon, where we live, called the Mountain Horned Toad. My brother decided to keep it, as I'm off at college, and he's had no issues feeding a variety of insects, since we don't have harvester ants in central Oregon. Absolutely love them, they have great personality once they get used to people. Recommend a variety of insects for all Horned Toad species, not just ants. They're opportunistic and will eat anything that crawls.
In california when i was a kid it was common to be walking along and seeing Horned Lizards but we called them Horney Toads. It was in a little town called Thousand Oaks, which is no small town anymore. I'm so glad they are still around and thriving.
I'm new to your content but was really excited to see you posted this. I've been caring for a greater short - horned lizard for 8 months now and initially researching what he needed to have a healthy life required a lot of digging through websites, calling around, and joining multiple reptile advice forums. I never intended to have a lizard but, when he fell into my lap I was determined to make it work and I have been fortunate enough to have the means to care him. As cool as they are, I would agree they are NOT good family pets and should be loved from afar. Looking forward to watching some new content!
My brother had one of those. If he were still alive I'd ask him how he managed to obtain harvester ants. 1950s is when he would've had it and he lived is Bossier, La. I can't imagine them being in plentiful supply in that city. I watch your videos practically every day. Love 'em. My 11 year old daughter does, too.
You did a nice job on this video. I'm glad you stated precisely why they're not widely available, and that people should not go out and buy one without extensive research and resources. I also appreciated the sentiment that they should not be collected from the wild. Phrynosoma are a delicate genus reserved for only the most experienced and dedicated keepers. One more thing I would add is that these animals need DAILY care regardless of how well prepared you are. In my experience (and I've kept platyrhinos, taurus, cornutum, modestum, asio, douglassi, hernandesi, and orbiculare), most will not recognize standing water and likely get most of their water from dew in the wild. This means religiously dripping water on them daily with a pipette to keep them healthy and well-hydrated.
aww, and I had just fallen so in love with these guys looking at pictures of them online! Good to know about these issues with keeping them, tho, not to mention wild conservation. Also heck yes, ANTS ARE STINKIN RAD!!!
My friend and I use to catch them out in the Forrest of OK and release them. Hey use to be everywhere. It saddens me that it’s been since 1993 that I have seen them in the wild. I love these lizards. Thank you for doing this video Clint. 🏆👊🏾🙂
We went on a road trip as small kids and found one of these guys outside a motel along the way. I begged my mom to keep it, thinking we could put it in a tupperware until we got home. Up until starting to watch this video, I still felt my childhood indignation that she said no, but unearthing that memory as an adult, of course that was the wisest answer! Even if it has been a good pet species, any poor creature we kept on the road would have suffered. Her explanation may have been unfair ("nothing green is allowed in the house except vegetables!" Total reptile hater, though strangely loves frogs?), but I'm retroactively thanking my mom for sparing us the very sad reality of watching a beautiful wild creature starve to death. Thanks for opening and closing the door on that memory by talking about these cool little guys.
I've been looking for more info about them the last few days and was disappointed when I realized you didn't have a video on them yet, didn't have to wait too long though I see lol
Glad I didn't get one just based on their diet. In my younger days I considered getting one a few times without doing the proper research. Glad I never pulled the trigger.
I grew up with these all over the place in southern Arizona. Many years ago, when I moved to Florida, I found one in a pet store. Knowing that they (and anyone they would likely sell it to) didn't know how to care for it, I bought it and set it up at home. I had to have carpenter ants (which I also had a lot of experience with - very nasty!) shipped in large deli containers once a month. Imagine a thousand of some of the largest, most active ants, with really nasty stings roiling around in, and ready to explode out of, a plastic tub. I had them shipped to my university - being a biologist has it's advantages.
These guys are what sparked my love for reptiles. As kids we went to the pet store for a class trip, and they asked if we wanted to hold a horned lizard. I was the only one who said yes, and I instantly fell in love with it. So horned lizards have a place in my heart... But not in my house! I don't have a harvester ant surplus at the time...
Thanks for all that you do. You’ve inspired me to get a pet lizard soon. Last time I owned a lizard was when I was around 10 years of age and now as an adult you’ve helped reignite my interest in them.
Hey Clint, I love you so much you are my role model and I have a “Get an Tegu and name it Gus Gus” on my list for when I’m older XD! I am getting a bearded after your great video about them. Again keep up the great work!
Could you maybe do a little feature on what King Bumi's home actually looks like and how his person introduces his ants safely? While I know better than to want to keep these spiky friends, I'm really interested in what their care actually looks like! Actually that's true for a lot of the nope-pets! An episode on some of your friend's good setups for pets you don't reccomend would be amazing! I know you have visited NERD and Emily/Ed, but smaller features on specific setups is what I'm thinking of! Just a thought! :)
Hi Clint! I doubt you can find one where your at but maybe you can check out the Western Fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis). We keep one as a pet. He does look stinkin rad and ours eats very well but is pretty indifferent to handling. Western fence lizards are also preyed upon by all manner of birds and are able to see almost directly behind their heads. Fun fact: Western Fence Lizards have a protein in their blood that kills the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. So when a tick bites the lizard the tick is cured of the bacteria and can no longer transmit it to other animals.
I have to say this channel is never boring. I’ve learned a lot since finding it. Mostly that some of the most stinkin rad reptiles on the planet make terrible pets. But there are plenty of alternatives.
They're such amazing little creatures!!! I found some hatchlings eating ants on a hike once and was immediately in love with them. Buuuuut I'm really starting to think I need a bearded dragon because every time I start researching a new amazing lizard I come back to 'man, a bearded dragon would be almost as cool to look at, is easier to keep healthy, and would tolerate interaction so much better.' What do you think of Spiny tailed iguanas?? I hope a banana pectinata video is coming someday!
When you mentioned the ants situation, i was so excited because I have 3 large colonies of Novomessor cockerelli harvester ants!!! Finally in the minority group of people who can meet absurdly specific care requirements! Proud day indeed.
So excited to see a reptile this week! Love you but there have been a lot of bugs (and bird) lately which just hasn’t been my jam. This little guy is STINKIN RAD though, thanks for an awesome video!
Clint's Reptiles 6 out of the last 10 “best pet reptiles” series have been non reptiles. Just trying to offer genuine personal feedback in a positive way.
I used to catch these as a kid back home. Always will hold a special place in my heart. If they become something you can reasonably keep (looking at you Mexican giant and formic powder), I will have to jump on it.
Clint, you would adore the Australian thorny devil. Their 'thorns' are all show as they are soft. I caught one by hand when I was a kid (damn I was quick back then!) and it wasn't at all panicked by gentle handling. They would make great pets, but being a desert lizard they need high temperatures.
Other people people have mentioned it, but I feel very glad you make it abundantly clear that these have very specific care requirements and are very hard to keep in captivity. They are poached a lot and are also suffering because of habitat destruction. I got to see some horned lizards in the wild in Mexico State this year. People from the region told me they used to be very abundant, but now you rarely see them anymore. So, what I am trying to say: I think we all agree these are amazing creatures, but are they not even cooler in their native habitat? Let's keep wild populatins healthy for all to enjoy!
We used to catch these guys when we were kids. It wasn’t hard, they are pretty docile. Their bellies are soft and they close their eyes if you pet them between their eyes.
Probably my most favorite lizard! I used to catch them when I was a little kid just outside of Denver. At least one of the reasons I like reptiles so much. I never tried keeping one as a pet though.
I have a breeding pair of phrynosoma asio and a juvenile male. They are excellent DISPLAY lizards as long as you provide a varied diet of insects (small crickets, waxworms/moths, soldier flies and larvae) supplemented with 500-1,000 harvester ants per month. They seem to get bored and lose interest in the same food item after a while. They also require slightly higher humidity than most other horned lizards. They are by far my favorite lizards that I keep.
Nostalgia! I grew up with these when they were EVERYWHERE. Am from Del Mar (N San Diego county) CA. Was born in the 50s; we lived on 2 acres about 3 miles east of the beach. As a kid used to catch these. Mom & Grandpa taught us to handle them gently. I was blessed with a mom & grandpa(her dad) who were very into animals. I therefore was never taught to fear snakes (except when v. young child), just how to tell rattlers from others. Anyhow, Grandpa taught us how to turn a “horny toad” onto its back very gently and stroke the belly until it went to sleep (I know, NOT good but people didn’t know then what they know now!); then to put it down and let it go. Somehow he knew that they ate ants so we once set one up in a 10 gallon tank with sand, water and a handful of dry leaves. Grandpa helped us get ants and the lizard actually ate them. Had a choice between red ants and the tiny black ones. Horny toad ate some of the black ones. We let it go after about a week, when I got Ebeneezer my gopher snake, who I had for 2 years before he escaped and was a much cooler pet :)
This is off topic but I have to female crested that you saw during our one-on-one that are both gravid in a tank together but in the past they laid eggs in the same pothos plant but at different times. Will they lay eggs in the same enclosure at the same time or will they stress each other out and keep each other from laying
I'm sensing a colab with AntsCanada coming on...With what they're doing with Scenic terraria, or even something using their basic products would be neat to see.
This is one of my bucket list reptiles to see in the wild. Unfortunately I still haven’t seen one here in Texas. I do however know where to find them in the wild because apparently West Texas still has quite a few of these guys running around in some areas. I don’t think I would keep one even though I so badly want to but I feel like it would be a death sentence for them as I don’t have access to harvester ants. Definitely want these guys living their best lives!
I used to catch half a dozen a summer back in the day. When it was feeding time, I take a bucket and a shovel out to a harvester ant nest and then watch the horned lizard eat them. There would be ant bodies in the lizard poop. There are a couple of different species of horned lizards in the US. The most common and the ones I would catch were the Texas Horned Lizard.The Texas horned lizard is now a protected species, and, in Texas, it is illegal to take, possess, transport or sell them without a special permit.
Your background is much better. The former one was cold and uncomfortable. Videos are much nicer now. I used to catch horned lizards when I was a kid. I always let them go. (California).
Also, they physically can't drop their tails, and a bit of an overexaggerating on how many ants they eat, but like he said, without a colony, they are a money drain. Repashy has the ant eater diet powder he was talking about. Hope this helps!
Hi Clint, I provide educational Animal Encounters here in the UK, when we aren't in lockdown of course! Of all the animal education channels I think yours is the best. So keep up the good work! 🤠 Chris
It's the best job in the world isn't it! All online for me at the moment, but at least that removes the boundaries of distance! Today's group were in Dubai! 🤠
Some important info, some horny toad species are classified as endangered in some areas, and require specific permits to handle. Something else to be mindful of in case you are interested in keeping any
I've just spent the evening viewing the American election. I come here to chill to Clint's dulcet tones. The happiest voice on TH-cam and possibly in the whole world. Love you man.
I love these little guys, but sadly I don’t think my wife would be happy with another feeder insect colony in the house haha. Until the captive bred Mexican horned lizards are more readily available, I’ll be more than happy with the occasional encounter of the Greater Short-Horned lizards while out and about hiking here in Utah :)
I used to catch these lil fellas as a kid, along with all the other high desert species I grew up around. I'd catch them in the spring and summer, feed them with ant colonies in my yard, then set them lose in the fall. I did this for so many years, that in the summer these days, I'll walk past 3-4 of em just getting the mail.
“and ants are amazing”... you said that with such enthusiasm I cracked up.. awesome. I haven’t checked our your merch but I’m hoping there is a shirt that says “stinkin rad” or something.
in seventh grade, there was a horned lizard picture in my science textbook, and that picture was what started my love for reptiles. its nice to see a video made about them
So cool.
Spike Saucer? Pointy Pancake? Barbed Board? Prickley Platter? You're speaking my language Clint :D
Such cute little ant gobbling saw blades.
Water gun of *DOOM*
I got to tell my friends about Toxicongaths yesterday.
How did it go?
@@ClintsReptiles Excellent. They were playing Warframe and a centipede monster came up, which they called a millipede, so I had to explain the differences.
They thought I was a nerd, it was great!
You're engaged in a noble work!
I told my mom lol
@@tomatoshake1563 was she impressed? My girlfriend somehow wasn't. Sometimes, i just don't get her.
I’m glad you brought this up this year in my state Oklahoma we found a lot of horned lizards around and I had to tell a lot of people that they could not keep it because it is very difficult to keep a wild horned lizard in captivity
Thank you for spreading good information.
They are the kind of lizard you catch, keep in a Rubbermaid tub for a few days to observe, and let back into the wild. Used to do it all the time as a kid before they became really rare around the area. Still have a few harvester ant nests on the property we don't touch just in case they are around.
@@aichmalotizo9873 I'd always just put one on my shoulder for a few minutes.
The big OK doesn’t have a problem with horned toads fyi. 🙄
Clint’s enthusiasm will never cease to make me smile
Most people: Oh well, guess I'm never keeping one of those.
Rich person with too many ants: *MY TIME IS NOW.*
Growing up we had a "pet" horned lizard! We called them Horney toads. I loved our "pet" so much! We grew up in the desert so we saw them all the time. One time we caught one and kept it in our greenhouse in a tank. We had a BUNCH of different ant colonies on our property, so we would go outside every day and harvest a bunch of ants for him to eat! We had it for a very long time until we had to move and we had to set him free
My grandma was telling me my mom had found one and she let her keep it. She didn't have it long before it went missing. While later my grandma found its skeleton hanging off my mom's clothing rack, poor thing. But to this day my grandma loves horny toads. Doesn't like any other lizards or creatures, just those
When I was a small kid, I actually captured 3 of these guys near my home on the Rio Grande, and I thought I could keep them just like my bearded dragon. RIP to those guys. Lessons learned.
It’s so fun to see a video on horned lizards. There’s a big problem with people poaching them in my area to keep as pets, especially since most die of starvation in captivity, so I’m glad you talked about how they made bad pets. I hope this discourages people from taking them from the wild ;~;
The guy who owns King Bumi also owns an Ackie Monitor named Katara.
Now that's stinkin' rad.
As soon as I got the notification for this video I was so excited. I thought to myself this is going to be so rad. I love your videos you make my Saturday every time you post!
Thank you for being here!
I used to catch both Dessert and Mexican Horned Toads all the time when I lived in New Mexico. Kept them for a couple days at a time and would release them. I had a Mexican that I kept captive for a year until we moved to higher and cooler altitudes. Ended up releasing him as well.
Suggestions:
Rubber boa, best pet snake?
Fox snake, best pet snake?
Komodo dragon, best pet lizard?
Dumerils monitor, best pet lizard?
Paradise tree snake, best pet snake?
I don't think he'll do Komodo
I mean
they are very likley to kill you
Can confirm that the Komodo dragon is not the best pet lizard
This is literally the worlds best channel ever!!!! WHAT! You’re so amazing!!!
Thank you!!!
I’m screaming!
@0:33 , that was the nerdies thing you have ever said and we love you for it
I love how little their tail is
It's fun, isn't it.
Star wars reference! You got my like and may the force be with you.
And also with you.
Clint do you watch the mandalorian
That was what got me too. 😄
I don't know how, but you seem even more excited and funny in this video than other recent ones, Clint! Did someone introduce you to coffee?
Nope, but I did get to talk about rad lizards and ants :)
@@ClintsReptiles I have tried to keep ants. Unfortunately, my fire ants are at about twenty ants after 5 months, and pavement ants at about 30.
@@ClintsReptiles ants are the best, i have two queens.
First time I went to the US I saw a bunch of these in the wild and thought they were beardies! I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day, these guys are so awesome
So, Shrikes are pretty badass, then!
Terrifyingly
Video released 2 minutes ago
TH-cam: this comment was from 20 hours ago.
www.patreon.com/clintsreptiles
@@ClintsReptiles I’m getting the patreon if it’s more that 20 hours early haha!
@@krusader9508 bruh
Hi Clint! Please do a video on Chuckwallas, I've been into them ever since you got me into reptiles!
I'd like that!
@@ClintsReptiles Thanks! Hope Animal Ark has some!
I just want to say thank you for making these videos, I got a Rad pet moroccan uromastyx today (named reggie) And I would have never discovered there existence I’d it wasn’t for your videos
Keep up the good work!
I have to say I love seeing how much you're channels editing and graphics have changed over time
Sorry I worked and wasn't able to be on the live chat. Beautiful fireplace Leisha! Thank you for another fascinating vlog.
I'm glad you could make it after the fact :)
Loving this sleek new format with the bubbles for links and shout outs looks super nice and professional! My friend and I were just talking about how you never see horned lizards anymore around here anyway like we did when we were children. Just tons of blue bellies and sometimes alligator lizards but no horned lizards or as we always called them for some reason horny toads. Also loving the bloopers next to the rad/stinking rad fans credits.
The herping highlight of my life was seeing a thorny devil while I was hiking around the base of Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Australia. Despite my many trips to the American southwest, I have yet to see a horned lizard, but I’ll get one eventually. Great video!
That would be a highlight for me as well!
At the big reptile expo in Daytona Beach captive born horned lizards were available for a low price, along with the formic acid supplement and these lizards were eagerly eating small crickets. So they're out there if you want them. For me, there are so many other cool lizards. But for someone who wants them, they are available. Just do some research.
I had no idea how cute these were until just now. Wow!
This is probably the best one yet. Your comments especially in the beginning were just hilarious XD
I grew up with a pet Horned Toad (Lizard) named Spike. He was wild caught by our neighbor in the Mojave desert, and we kept him for 6 years before he died of old age. When we got him, he was already full grown, and the expected life span in captivity was only a few months, probably because of the harvester ants. We recently caught a juvenile of a different species up in Oregon, where we live, called the Mountain Horned Toad. My brother decided to keep it, as I'm off at college, and he's had no issues feeding a variety of insects, since we don't have harvester ants in central Oregon. Absolutely love them, they have great personality once they get used to people. Recommend a variety of insects for all Horned Toad species, not just ants. They're opportunistic and will eat anything that crawls.
In california when i was a kid it was common to be walking along and seeing Horned Lizards but we called them Horney Toads. It was in a little town called Thousand Oaks, which is no small town anymore. I'm so glad they are still around and thriving.
I love how honest you are about choosing pets!
Awesome video Clint, here are some suggestions for next episodes!!!
African bullfrog
Argus monitor
Axolotl
Basilisk
Banded gecko
Woma python
Blue tailed skink
Box turtle
Budgett's frog
Carpet chameleon
Cat eyed gecko
Chinese cave gecko
Collared lizard
Crested newt
Crocodile gecko
Crocodile monitor
Cuban knight anole
Dart frog
Diamondback terrapin
Dragon agama
Dragon snake
Dumeril's monitor
Dune gecko
Emerald tree boa
Fan fingered gecko
Fat tailed gecko
Fire belly toad
Golden gecko
Green spiny lizard/ Emerald swift lizard
Green tree python
Horned frog
Indigo snake
Legless lizard
Mata mata
Pacman frog
Poison dart frog
Quince monitor
Rainbow boa
Red eyed tree frog
Reticulated python
Rosy boa
Russian tortoise
Sailfin lizard/ hydrosaurus
Schneider's skink
Scorpion tailed gecko
Shield tailed agama
Shingleback skink
Sungazer
Tiger salamander
Tiger whiptail
Tristis monitor
Veiled chameleon
White lined gecko
White throat monitor
Yellow headed gecko
Sometimes people comment that we're "running out of ideas". The list is even longer than this 😅
Impressive
Add hermit crabs, moon crabs, and hissing cockroaches to the list!
I'm new to your content but was really excited to see you posted this. I've been caring for a greater short - horned lizard for 8 months now and initially researching what he needed to have a healthy life required a lot of digging through websites, calling around, and joining multiple reptile advice forums. I never intended to have a lizard but, when he fell into my lap I was determined to make it work and I have been fortunate enough to have the means to care him. As cool as they are, I would agree they are NOT good family pets and should be loved from afar. Looking forward to watching some new content!
My brother had one of those. If he were still alive I'd ask him how he managed to obtain harvester
ants. 1950s is when he would've had it and he lived is Bossier, La. I can't imagine them being in plentiful supply in that city.
I watch your videos practically every day. Love 'em. My 11 year old daughter does, too.
I’m not surprised Clint is a fellow ant lover,
You should do an ant colony, best pet insect? Video
I’ll spoil it, they are great I’m an ant keeper
You did a nice job on this video. I'm glad you stated precisely why they're not widely available, and that people should not go out and buy one without extensive research and resources. I also appreciated the sentiment that they should not be collected from the wild. Phrynosoma are a delicate genus reserved for only the most experienced and dedicated keepers. One more thing I would add is that these animals need DAILY care regardless of how well prepared you are. In my experience (and I've kept platyrhinos, taurus, cornutum, modestum, asio, douglassi, hernandesi, and orbiculare), most will not recognize standing water and likely get most of their water from dew in the wild. This means religiously dripping water on them daily with a pipette to keep them healthy and well-hydrated.
aww, and I had just fallen so in love with these guys looking at pictures of them online! Good to know about these issues with keeping them, tho, not to mention wild conservation. Also heck yes, ANTS ARE STINKIN RAD!!!
My friend and I use to catch them out in the Forrest of OK and release them. Hey use to be everywhere. It saddens me that it’s been since 1993 that I have seen them in the wild. I love these lizards. Thank you for doing this video Clint. 🏆👊🏾🙂
We went on a road trip as small kids and found one of these guys outside a motel along the way. I begged my mom to keep it, thinking we could put it in a tupperware until we got home. Up until starting to watch this video, I still felt my childhood indignation that she said no, but unearthing that memory as an adult, of course that was the wisest answer! Even if it has been a good pet species, any poor creature we kept on the road would have suffered. Her explanation may have been unfair ("nothing green is allowed in the house except vegetables!" Total reptile hater, though strangely loves frogs?), but I'm retroactively thanking my mom for sparing us the very sad reality of watching a beautiful wild creature starve to death.
Thanks for opening and closing the door on that memory by talking about these cool little guys.
I've been looking for more info about them the last few days and was disappointed when I realized you didn't have a video on them yet, didn't have to wait too long though I see lol
I know its already gonna be a good day when theres a new video.
We'll keep your Fridays and Saturdays looking good. You're on your own the rest of the week 😉
Glad I didn't get one just based on their diet. In my younger days I considered getting one a few times without doing the proper research. Glad I never pulled the trigger.
This is a bad one to get on a whim, and people make that mistake all the time.
I grew up with these all over the place in southern Arizona. Many years ago, when I moved to Florida, I found one in a pet store. Knowing that they (and anyone they would likely sell it to) didn't know how to care for it, I bought it and set it up at home. I had to have carpenter ants (which I also had a lot of experience with - very nasty!) shipped in large deli containers once a month. Imagine a thousand of some of the largest, most active ants, with really nasty stings roiling around in, and ready to explode out of, a plastic tub. I had them shipped to my university - being a biologist has it's advantages.
These guys are what sparked my love for reptiles. As kids we went to the pet store for a class trip, and they asked if we wanted to hold a horned lizard. I was the only one who said yes, and I instantly fell in love with it. So horned lizards have a place in my heart... But not in my house! I don't have a harvester ant surplus at the time...
Thanks for all that you do. You’ve inspired me to get a pet lizard soon. Last time I owned a lizard was when I was around 10 years of age and now as an adult you’ve helped reignite my interest in them.
That makes me so happy to hear!
This intro was amazing! 😂 I love your channel.
Thank you! It puts a smile on my face :)
This was just what I needed. So much good vibes. I love it. Thank you Clint ❤️❤️❤️
Had these guys living in my backyard in when I lived in new mexico, they were a lot of fun to watch and chase.
Hey Clint, I love you so much you are my role model and I have a “Get an Tegu and name it Gus Gus” on my list for when I’m older XD! I am getting a bearded after your great video about them. Again keep up the great work!
Thank you so much! You have great goals.
@@ClintsReptilesoh god tysm I'm so happy that you actually replied to my comment! Have a great day!
@@ClintsReptiles I'm crying I've been a fan for ages lol.
Could you maybe do a little feature on what King Bumi's home actually looks like and how his person introduces his ants safely? While I know better than to want to keep these spiky friends, I'm really interested in what their care actually looks like! Actually that's true for a lot of the nope-pets! An episode on some of your friend's good setups for pets you don't reccomend would be amazing! I know you have visited NERD and Emily/Ed, but smaller features on specific setups is what I'm thinking of! Just a thought! :)
Use to find these guys all over my backyard when I was a kid. They were so cool. Never kept one as a pet though.
Horned lizards always been one of my favorite lizard species their defense mechanism is so unique and cool at the same time.
Hi Clint! I doubt you can find one where your at but maybe you can check out the Western Fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis). We keep one as a pet. He does look stinkin rad and ours eats very well but is pretty indifferent to handling. Western fence lizards are also preyed upon by all manner of birds and are able to see almost directly behind their heads. Fun fact: Western Fence Lizards have a protein in their blood that kills the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. So when a tick bites the lizard the tick is cured of the bacteria and can no longer transmit it to other animals.
People think only about one thing nowdays: A CLINT'S PLUMED BASILISK EPISODE.
Clint: "they impale them on thorns and barbed wire... that's just how they roll."
I just about spit out my cereal this morning! 😂😂😂
Shrikes are metal.
@@hjalfi heavy metal to be exact.🤘🤘🤘
I have to say this channel is never boring. I’ve learned a lot since finding it. Mostly that some of the most stinkin rad reptiles on the planet make terrible pets. But there are plenty of alternatives.
1.3k views in 25 minutes! You’ve come a long way man
So true. I remember when it was a big deal to get that many views in a week. Not that long ago.
now this is a man who puts effort in his videos i can tell
I have seen a huge red Thorny in Southern Nevada was was about a foot long and maybe 5 to 6 inches wide at its flat-ish belly.
They're such amazing little creatures!!! I found some hatchlings eating ants on a hike once and was immediately in love with them. Buuuuut I'm really starting to think I need a bearded dragon because every time I start researching a new amazing lizard I come back to 'man, a bearded dragon would be almost as cool to look at, is easier to keep healthy, and would tolerate interaction so much better.' What do you think of Spiny tailed iguanas?? I hope a banana pectinata video is coming someday!
I have a video with them coming out relatively soon. A beardie would be a good fit for you :)
When you mentioned the ants situation, i was so excited because I have 3 large colonies of Novomessor cockerelli harvester ants!!! Finally in the minority group of people who can meet absurdly specific care requirements! Proud day indeed.
DO it!!!
So excited to see a reptile this week! Love you but there have been a lot of bugs (and bird) lately which just hasn’t been my jam. This little guy is STINKIN RAD though, thanks for an awesome video!
7 of the last 10 videos have been about non-avian reptiles.
Clint's Reptiles 6 out of the last 10 “best pet reptiles” series have been non reptiles. Just trying to offer genuine personal feedback in a positive way.
I'm actually quite curious what exactly it would score for someone who happens to already own a thriving colony of harvester ants.
I used to catch these as a kid back home. Always will hold a special place in my heart. If they become something you can reasonably keep (looking at you Mexican giant and formic powder), I will have to jump on it.
Shrikes have to be one of my all time favorite birds
Clint, you would adore the Australian thorny devil. Their 'thorns' are all show as they are soft. I caught one by hand when I was a kid (damn I was quick back then!) and it wasn't at all panicked by gentle handling. They would make great pets, but being a desert lizard they need high temperatures.
Someone should tell AntsCanada about these guys. He would have a field day setting up a Harvester ant terrarium with a horned lizard in it.
Yes
It would need to be able to be let in and out like a gladiator arena, since ants can overwhelm and kill lizards, if their feeding is not supervised
Other people people have mentioned it, but I feel very glad you make it abundantly clear that these have very specific care requirements and are very hard to keep in captivity. They are poached a lot and are also suffering because of habitat destruction. I got to see some horned lizards in the wild in Mexico State this year. People from the region told me they used to be very abundant, but now you rarely see them anymore. So, what I am trying to say: I think we all agree these are amazing creatures, but are they not even cooler in their native habitat? Let's keep wild populatins healthy for all to enjoy!
I've been looking for a good care guide for these for a while thanks
Just saying, I think Gliding lizards /the Draco genus. Is the radist group of lizards!
I have loved these my whole life and I spotted on a vacation and it was so well camouflaged in these rocks and it was so awesome to find in the wild
Production value has definitely gone up good work Clint
I loved these lizards as a kiddo, caught and released many. Coolest lizards ever.
I used to see those all the time when I was a kid. They loved standing in the middle of the big red ant pile
We used to catch these guys when we were kids. It wasn’t hard, they are pretty docile. Their bellies are soft and they close their eyes if you pet them between their eyes.
Probably my most favorite lizard! I used to catch them when I was a little kid just outside of Denver. At least one of the reasons I like reptiles so much. I never tried keeping one as a pet though.
I see some variant of these guys fairly often hiking in Arizona. Cool animals!
I have a breeding pair of phrynosoma asio and a juvenile male. They are excellent DISPLAY lizards as long as you provide a varied diet of insects (small crickets, waxworms/moths, soldier flies and larvae) supplemented with 500-1,000 harvester ants per month. They seem to get bored and lose interest in the same food item after a while. They also require slightly higher humidity than most other horned lizards. They are by far my favorite lizards that I keep.
I've been raizing a harvester ant colony for potentially being able to keep a horned toad someday. Any advice on how to find a horned toad though?
Nostalgia! I grew up with these when they were EVERYWHERE. Am from Del Mar (N San Diego county) CA. Was born in the 50s; we lived on 2 acres about 3 miles east of the beach. As a kid used to catch these. Mom & Grandpa taught us to handle them gently. I was blessed with a mom & grandpa(her dad) who were very into animals. I therefore was never taught to fear snakes (except when v. young child), just how to tell rattlers from others. Anyhow, Grandpa taught us how to turn a “horny toad” onto its back very gently and stroke the belly until it went to sleep (I know, NOT good but people didn’t know then what they know now!); then to put it down and let it go. Somehow he knew that they ate ants so we once set one up in a 10 gallon tank with sand, water and a handful of dry leaves. Grandpa helped us get ants and the lizard actually ate them. Had a choice between red ants and the tiny black ones. Horny toad ate some of the black ones. We let it go after about a week, when I got Ebeneezer my gopher snake, who I had for 2 years before he escaped and was a much cooler pet :)
This is off topic but I have to female crested that you saw during our one-on-one that are both gravid in a tank together but in the past they laid eggs in the same pothos plant but at different times. Will they lay eggs in the same enclosure at the same time or will they stress each other out and keep each other from laying
They'll lay just fine.
I'm sensing a colab with AntsCanada coming on...With what they're doing with Scenic terraria, or even something using their basic products would be neat to see.
The occasional zoom ins work really well for this format. Makes it seem more professional
We're getting better as time goes by.
Coalinga High School's mascot is the Horned Toad....and the town has a Horned Toad Derby every year.
I had one of these when I was a kid. I remember going out every day and collecting ants for it.
Hey clint, if you ever go back to NERD you should try to do an episode on copperheads! They are such cool snakes!
This is one of my bucket list reptiles to see in the wild. Unfortunately I still haven’t seen one here in Texas. I do however know where to find them in the wild because apparently West Texas still has quite a few of these guys running around in some areas. I don’t think I would keep one even though I so badly want to but I feel like it would be a death sentence for them as I don’t have access to harvester ants. Definitely want these guys living their best lives!
I used to catch half a dozen a summer back in the day. When it was feeding time, I take a bucket and a shovel out to a harvester ant nest and then watch the horned lizard eat them. There would be ant bodies in the lizard poop. There are a couple of different species of horned lizards in the US. The most common and the ones I would catch were the Texas Horned Lizard.The Texas horned lizard is now a protected species, and, in Texas, it is illegal to take, possess, transport or sell them without a special permit.
Your background is much better. The former one was cold and uncomfortable. Videos are much nicer now. I used to catch horned lizards when I was a kid. I always let them go. (California).
I would catch these around my yard all the time as a kid. They are super easy to catch!
Also, they physically can't drop their tails, and a bit of an overexaggerating on how many ants they eat, but like he said, without a colony, they are a money drain. Repashy has the ant eater diet powder he was talking about. Hope this helps!
Hi Clint,
I provide educational Animal Encounters here in the UK, when we aren't in lockdown of course!
Of all the animal education channels I think yours is the best.
So keep up the good work! 🤠
Chris
Thank you so much! Keep doing great work :)
It's the best job in the world isn't it!
All online for me at the moment, but at least that removes the boundaries of distance!
Today's group were in Dubai! 🤠
Some important info, some horny toad species are classified as endangered in some areas, and require specific permits to handle. Something else to be mindful of in case you are interested in keeping any
I've just spent the evening viewing the American election. I come here to chill to Clint's dulcet tones. The happiest voice on TH-cam and possibly in the whole world. Love you man.
I love these little guys, but sadly I don’t think my wife would be happy with another feeder insect colony in the house haha.
Until the captive bred Mexican horned lizards are more readily available, I’ll be more than happy with the occasional encounter of the Greater Short-Horned lizards while out and about hiking here in Utah :)
I used to catch these lil fellas as a kid, along with all the other high desert species I grew up around. I'd catch them in the spring and summer, feed them with ant colonies in my yard, then set them lose in the fall. I did this for so many years, that in the summer these days, I'll walk past 3-4 of em just getting the mail.
“and ants are amazing”... you said that with such enthusiasm I cracked up.. awesome. I haven’t checked our your merch but I’m hoping there is a shirt that says “stinkin rad” or something.
Very nice lizard that I didn't know!
Do you plan on doing more venomous snakes? I'd love to see Atheris squamigera (Variable bush viper) get some love
So glad you did it Clint!
Hopefully it helps :)
Great job again.
Another information filled video