Wild Cacti and Horned Toads

[PhiI C]

When man overly interfears with nature it is a catastrophy in the long run and yet people still don't get it. In the trivia room a question was asked what is wild cacti called and I couldn't find the term but I found out they are becoming scarce because some people are sending it out of it's natural place to others and no telling what disaster this will bring in the long run.
Take Texas - some Texans were greedy when they found out some Northerns (who were ignorant) and they starting catching horned toads and selling and sending them out of their natural area. Once when I was a boy even in south texas you could find horned toads all over the place. Now there are hardly any left because of greed and foolishness. Did we pay. Well walk out in the country now and see how many fire ant mounds you can find. Maybe even your yard sometimes especailly after a small rain. Had we had the horned toads maybe this invasion would have been stopped. Greed and Ignorance has caused us to have to live with fire ants. Wake up America!

[turbostud]

I hate ants.

[BHKrystal06]

I hate ants too.

[Gobbla2001]

I don't know what you guys are talking about, they taste fine to me...

[espn1]

Originally posted by PhiI C
When man overly interfears with nature it is a catastrophy in the long run and yet people still don't get it. In the trivia room a question was asked what is wild cacti called and I couldn't find the term but I found out they are becoming scarce because some people are sending it out of it's natural place to others and no telling what disaster this will bring in the long run.
Take Texas - some Texans were greedy when they found out some Northerns (who were ignorant) and they starting catching horned toads and selling and sending them out of their natural area. Once when I was a boy even in south texas you could find horned toads all over the place. Now there are hardly any left because of greed and foolishness. Did we pay. Well walk out in the country now and see how many fire ant mounds you can find. Maybe even your yard sometimes especailly after a small rain. Had we had the horned toads maybe this invasion would have been stopped. Greed and Ignorance has caused us to have to live with fire ants. Wake up America!
I personally think that fire ants helped to get rid of the Horned Toads also.

[Old Cardinal]

Can horned toads be raise in controlled captivity and release back into nature?... I had always been under the assumption that the rampant use of DDT on farming and grazing areas several decades ago resulted in their demise.
Maybe we could turn anteaters loose across Texas to take care of the fire ants! LOL
When I was a kid there were hardly any termites because houses were built on piers and we all had chickens and they would sit under the house in the shade to rest. They would catch the termites off the piers as they trailed to the ground to get moisture from under the houses.
Things have changed a lot!

[BHKrystal06]

Originally posted by Gobbla2001
I don't know what you guys are talking about, they taste fine to me... :rolleyes: :D

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Phil, you must listen to Earl Pitts....

[Old Tiger]

I like catching bugs or lizards and putting them in ant beds...lol

[slpybear the bullfan]

Gun-toting Bears and Scurvy!!!

[Ranger Mom]

Now that you mention it, I don't think I have seen a single horned toad this year, which is VERY unusual!

[BullFrog Dad]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
Now that you mention it, I don't think I have seen a single horned toad this year, which is VERY unusual! There's a bunch around University Drive in Ft. Worth.

[D. R. Hooks]

The last horned frog I saw was very flat on an FM Road in Garza county...

http://www.flickingerweather.com/wos.JPG

[chaingang]

We dont get to see criiters like that here in SE Texas. All we get is Gators, opossums, and armadillas. And boy are they good.:D

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by chaingang
We dont get to see criiters like that here in SE Texas. All we get is Gators, opossums, and armadillas. And boy are they good.:D ...as long as you get all the tread out of em...:p

[olddawggreen]

Originally posted by espn1
I personally think that fire ants helped to get rid of the Horned Toads also.

I think your exactly right espn1, as a child I could find them everywhere on our ranch in Burnet county. They started disapearing about the time fire ants started showing up. Even the red ants that seemed to be a main source of food for the Horned Toad have been thinned out by the fire ants in our area.

I was out in the Guadalupe Peak area a couple of years ago and there were so many Horned Toads that they were running across the road and getting hit by cars, but I didnt see any fire ants any where. By the way, the Horned Toad is a State protected species now. Don't try to send them to anyone if you happen to find one.:D

[chaingang]

I have never seen a real one. But we do have fire ants.

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by chaingang
I have never seen a real one. But we do have fire ants.

You have never seen a real horned toad??

I don't know what the deal is but we seem to be over run with lizards lately!!

[sinfan75]

Originally posted by olddawggreen
I think your exactly right espn1, as a child I could find them everywhere on our ranch in Burnet county. They started disapearing about the time fire ants started showing up. Even the red ants that seemed to be a main source of food for the Horned Toad have been thinned out by the fire ants in our area.

I was out in the Guadalupe Peak area a couple of years ago and there were so many Horned Toads that they were running across the road and getting hit by cars, but I didnt see any fire ants any where. By the way, the Horned Toad is a State protected species now. Don't try to send them to anyone if you happen to find one.:D We used to have all over the place down here too.As far as the red ants go, they were gettin kinda scarce too but they're makin a comeback. It's sems like every time you stop a truck it's on top of a red ant bed. Hopefully that means the horned toads will make a comeback. They were kinda cool to catch. Just put em on your shoulder and they'd hang with ya all day.

[olddawggreen]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
You have never seen a real horned toad??

I don't know what the deal is but we seem to be over run with lizards lately!!

My kids had never seen one till I took them to West Texas. Tell you what Ranger Mom, you send us some horney toads and we'll send you some fire ants! :eek: :eek:

[Old Tiger]

At my old house in Rockdale about 3 or 4 years ago these people up the road from me got fined like 5,000$ for catching them. They caught 20-50 of them.

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
You have never seen a real horned toad??

I don't know what the deal is but we seem to be over run with lizards lately!! Man, those little pale yellow geckos are everywhere...I wonder if they make good fishing bait...:thinking:

[Old Tiger]

I agree, I bet they do

[c-town_balla]

I see about one horrny toad a month around my house but besides that I don't see any

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
Man, those little pale yellow geckos are everywhere...I wonder if they make good fishing bait...:thinking:

I don't know about bait, but evidently they are pretty good chew toys....I have thrown out countless lizard carcasses that my dogs have mangled this summer!!

[JasperDog94]

My father in law has a black lab that he brings down to my house everyday to let it run. (I think that's just a ploy to come see his granddaughter.) But the side of my garage is covered in mud where she tries to chase lizards (regular green ones) by climbing up the wall. I don't think she realizes that she's not a squirrel.