Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma hernandezi (photo)
 This
small camouflaged lizard can be found from the dunes to the alpine areas
of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. As a species,
they range south into Mexico and north into Canada, but are restricted
to higher elevations. Horned lizards feed on insects and have a preference
for ants. When predators are near they can inflate their bodies with air,
which causes their spines to poke out, making them a bit less appealing
as a food source.
Even if it can be shown that the structure of an animal is such
that it is specially fitted for the life which it in fact pursues, it
does not necessarily follow that this structure has arisen as a definite
adaptation to such habits. It is always conceivable, and often probable,
that after the structure had arisen casually, the animal possessing
it was driven to the appropriate mode of life.
Watson D.M.S.
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