When you think of “gory” animals, creatures like great white sharks, tigers, and vampire bats might come to mind. But the most gruesome defense mechanism of any animal belongs to something much ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. In the arid plains and rocky deserts of North America, a ...

Why they're awesome: Greater short-horned lizards have a squat, flat shape and short snouts, which makes them look more like amphibians than reptiles — hence the nickname "horny toads." But these ...

I nearly crushed it beneath my boot. A little over a week ago, I was hiking down the Bogert Trail when something very tiny scampered out from underneath my boot — just in time to avoid being squashed.

When it comes to creative survival tactics in the animal kingdom, few creatures can compete with a small, spiky reptile that weaponizes its own blood. The greater short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma ...

Out in the dry scrublands of the American West, a squat, spine-covered reptile spends its days nearly invisible against the sand, dust and stone. The greater short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi ...

Out-of-state visitors may not know what they’re looking at, but fans of Texas Christian University (TCU) get fired up when SuperFrog runs onto the football field. Human-size and gray, with pointy ...