A trip to encounter the short-horned horned lizard Phrynosoma braconnieri in Oaxaca, Mexico

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Phrynosomatics
November 2014
Departing from
Mexico City in the
middle of October,
2012, we began
our last expedi-
tion of the year
to study Mexican
horned lizards in
the Àeld. We would
travel south to the
state of Oaxaca to
further investigate
the little known
and mythic short-
horned horned
lizard, Phrynosoma
braconnieri. Its
restricted distribu-
tion is limited to the
states of Oaxaca and Puebla.
The team consisted of Alfonso, whose interest
in horned lizards since childhood has lead to
his current master’s degree research (our major
focus) at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de
México (UNAM), Esmeralda (biology graduate at
UNAM, in marine studies; but also fascinated by
horned lizards and their blood-squirting defense),
Jong-Yeol Moon (an ornithology graduate stu-
dent, Seoul National University; who had meet
Wade and Alfonso earlier in the year in South
Korea and at the Southwestern Research Sta-
tion [SWRS], respectively), and Wade (who had
Phrynosomatics
The Newsletter of the Horned Lizard Conservation Society
Our purpose is to document and publicize the values and
conservation needs of horned lizards, to promote horned
lizard conservation projects, and to assist with horned lizard
management initiatives throughout their ranges.
Volume 19, Issue No. 4 NOVEMBER 2014
A Trip to Encounter the Short-horned Lizard
Phrynosoma braconneiri
in Oaxaca, Mexico
by Ríos, Hernández, Santillán, Hildalgo, Aparicio, and Sherbrooke
earlier in the spring
spent Phrynosoma-
time in Guerrero
and Puebla, Méxi-
co, with Alfonso and
others). Following
that trip Alfonso had
visited Tucson and
the SWRS in Portal,
Arizona, to work on
thermoregulation in
Phrynosoma solare,
P. cornutum, and P.
modestum. Alfon-
so’s friendship with
Jong-Yeol devel-
oped at the SWRS
and resulted in
Jong-Yeol’s interest
in joining us in Mexico. The linguistic limitations
of mixing three languages, Korean, Spanish, and
English, sometimes resulted in our use of univer-
sal gestures to communicate, but always it was
lots of fun.
The six-hour drive in the UNAM pickup truck to
Oaxaca City ended with a late-lunch visit to the
city’s central market for delicious regional foods,
including pollo con mole, chicken with a sauce
made from several types of chili, various seeds,
and chocolate, and horchata, a drink made from
ground rice in water, Áavored with cinnamon,
Continued on page 3
Short-horned lizard with color-and-pattern camouÁage. Photo by Wade Sherbrooke.

Phrynosomatics
November 2014
2
Secretary
Reilly Dibner
rdibner@uwyo.edu
Treasurer
Carolyn Todd
512-868-0811
Carolyn.Todd@dars.state.tx.us
President
Bill Brooks
108 Cactus Cove
Paige, Texas 78659
512-581-0377
b.brooks@utexas.edu
President-Elect
Tim Tristan
exoticvet@yahoo.com
on the web at
–– www.hornedlizards.org
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Please Send Membership
Applications or Requests
for Information to:
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info@hornedlizards.org
Colorado Contact
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Natural Resource Ecology Lab
Colorado State University
1499 Campus Delivery,
Fort Collins, CO 80523
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New Mexico
Contact
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Albuquerque, NM 87112
tom@httom.com
California Contact
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Paige, Texas 78659
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Nevada Contact
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Mexico Contact
Wade Sherbrooke
wcs@amnh.org
Phrynosomatics
Copy Editor
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poppies14@comcast.net
Phrynosomatics
Design Editor
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Member Services
Katie Talbott
kmtalbott@mail.fhsu.edu
Director At Large
Megan Lahti
megan.lahti@gmail.com

Phrynosomatics
November 2014 3
A Trip to Encounter the Short -horned Lizard... - continued from page 1
milk, and sugar. Other great
market, restaurant, and home-
prepared meals would follow.
From here we departed north
for two hours of driving into the
mountains to our destination,
the Universidad de la Sierra
Juárez. Here we meet other
project collaborators, Victor
and his student Miriam, both of
whom had also been involved
with Alfonso’s earlier work
here. They settled the out-of-
town folks in university ac-
commodations, an apartment,
which would serve as a base
of research activities during
the following 10 days. Before
beginning looking for horned
lizards Alfonso attended to
contacting the local authorities
about our planned activities to
again get their permission to
enter the areas. Fortunately the
local people are very protective
of their region, careful of who
enters and leaves and of what
they are doing; happily this en-
hances local conservation and
security.
The dominant vegetation of this
mountainous zone is oak and
pine forest, with nearby high-
rainfall cloud forests where rains
fall one in every three days of
the year (Fig. 1). Daily, day-night
temperatures often Áuctuate as
much as 30° C, but when clouds
cover the landscape and rains
fall the temperature may not
reach 15° C. These differences
in climatic factors greatly affect
ones chances of encountering
horned lizards (camaleones).
Alfonso’s previous work in the
area enhanced our chances
as populations of Phrynosoma
braconnieri had been located
and aspects of their thermal
ecology were studied. But now
we returned with radio-telem-
etry equipment, transmitters to
Àt on lizards and antennas and
receivers to relocate released
short-tailed horned lizards. Our
goals were (1) to expand and
complement earlier work on
thermal ecology of the spe-
cies, and (2), with the help and
knowledge of the local indig-
enous people, initiate a study
of their beliefs about camale-
ones, an ethnobiological study
in which we were guided by
Tania. But there was no as-
surance of Ànding short-tailed
horned lizards as they use their
color-and-pattern camouÁage
to escape notice and remain
motionless until nearly stepped
on (Fig. 2). This cryptic horned
lizard species has been known
in Mexico for well over a cen-
tury, but to date is known only
from about 20 locations – lots
fewer than many other species.
Our Àrst impression on arriving
at our known location for these
lizards was shock. Many small
trees and shrubs had recently
been cut down by locals in an
attempt to reduce the presence
of noxious or harmful animals,
like snakes. Nevertheless, on
the Àrst day we found several
horned lizards and we subse-
quently found a good number
(Fig. 3). Searching we became
aware of their persistence
among the dead branches and
foliage lying on the soil. Once
seen and captured the next
steps involved attaching the
radio-transmitter to the lizard’s
back, releasing each at the spot
where it was encountered (Fig.
4), and later returning to the site
Continued on page 4
Fig. 1. Landscape of the Sierra Juárez, Oaxaca, México, where Phryno-
soma braconnieri (short-tailed horned lizard) was studied in 2012.
Fig. 2. A cryptic short-tailed horned lizard is seen.

Phrynosomatics
November 2014
4
to relocate it (Fig. 5). During the study we were
able to follow three males and three females.
On subsequent days all these lizards were relo-
cated twice daily at selected times, when body
and ambient temperatures were taken (Fig 6).
These data give us an idea of the temperatures
needed by short-tailed horned lizards in this
population to maintain activity. Also we were able
to observe the sites where and when they found
nocturnal refuge, ceasing activity, and note con-
ditions when activity was subsequently resumed.
When not in the Àeld with the lizards we were
able to focus on our other horned lizard project.
Our ethno-biologist, Tania, had prepared a ques-
tionnaire for our use with residence of the Sierra
Norte. Victor was instrumental in enlisting his
enthusiastic university students who visited with
dozens of locals to record their beliefs about ca-
maleones. We also visited another Sierra town,
and later one in the central valleys (see below),
to expand our coverage.
One of the most popular beliefs we found was
that when a person has a headache or is suf-
A Trip to Encounter the Short -horned Lizard... - continued from page 3
Fig. 3. A large female short-tailed horned lizard.
Fig. 4. The signal from the radio-transmitter leads us back to every lizard
no matter time-of-day or night, obscuring vegetation, or weather conditions.
Fig. 5. Alfonso Hernández Ríos uses radio-telemetry receiver and an-
tenna to relocate each short-tailed horned lizard.
Fig. 6. Once a lizard is located data are recorded. (Left to right, Esmeral-
da Bravo Hernández, Miriam Illescas Aparicio, and Wade C. Sherbrooke.)

Phrynosomatics
November 2014 5
fering bad feelings that are the result of “el aire”
(bad air) or “el mal de ojo” (evil eye) it can be
treated with a horned lizard (Fig 7). These sick-
nesses are caused by negative energy directed
at the recipient by other people. The treatment
consists of placing a horned lizard on the head
of the “patient,” like putting on a hat, and as it
inÁates its body the lizard has the ability to suck-
out or take-away the bad air or evil from the
person’s head thus effecting a cure. Usually a
hat is placed over the lizard during the head-top
treatment. The time needed to have the horned
lizard on the person’s head varies depending on
the intensity of the headache, or the type of bad
air or evil causing the sickness. Generally, one
places the horned lizard on the head for two to
Àve minutes, but only for a minute if the lizard is
stressed. This can be repeated and even contin-
ued until the patient feels better and the bad air
or evil has been removed (Fig. 8). This sickness
is considered to be of cultural origin as no evi-
dence of physiological basis has been identiÀed
and it is a common belief among indigenous and
mestizo (mixed Native American and European)
peoples of Mexico. The apparent origin of the
belief is derived from horned lizards’ defensive
behavior of inÁating their body, visually increas-
ing apparent size and spiny defenses, when
threatened by some predators.
Another species in the state of Hidalgo, Phryno-
soma orbiculare, is viewed in a similar fashion
(Gutiérrez-Santillán 2010). Here the Nahua peo-
ple believe that this horned lizard can remove
bad air or evil from a person when it inÁates or
even when it squirts blood from the eyes. There-
fore these people protect them as part of the
environment so that they may thrive and thus are
able to cure more people over time. The result is
a cultural effort at conservation of the species.
On the other hand local opinions in Oaxaca may
differ concerning horned lizards, being mixed
either good or bad. Some people believe they
are venomous and dangerous, but others do not
share this belief. This mixed cultural view is the
case with other species of horned lizards as well,
such as Phrynosoma orbiculare. For example,
some groups of Nahua speakers in Hidalgo
believe P. orbiculare plays a duel role at a cul-
tural level. They can be seen as bad or good, but
generally are considered to be good omens and
helpful. They are said to be “amigos del hom-
bre” (friend of man) and the one that “cuida a los
niños” (takes care of children). This all leads to a
conclusion that since ancient times in Mexico liz-
ards of the genus Phrynosoma have had a strong
relationship with humans and have played an im-
portant role in the cultures of indigenous Mexico
(Gutiérrez-Santillán and Sherbrooke 2014).
At the end of ten days we prepared to leave,
removing radio-transmitters from the lizards. The
females appeared gravid (this species gives live
birth), with higher weights than at other times of
the year. We decided to try to conÀrm the pres-
ence inside the females of developing embryos
by using ultrasonic gynecological equipment to
detect heart-beats of embryos with the aid of two
local doctors, but our efforts failed. (This tech-
Continued on page 6
Fig. 7. Alfonso Hernández Ríos interviews a local resident concerning her
beliefs about short-horned horned lizards.
Fig. 8. A university student tried the cure for mal aire or mal del ojo. The
lizard inÁates.

Phrynosomatics
November 2014
6
nique was invented and explored by our friend
Marcos Garcia Pareja in Guerrero with Phryno-
soma asio; Garcia-Pareja 2012). Transporting fe-
males back to Mexico City subsequently resulted
in the birth of two groups of young, conÀrming our
suspicions and providing new reproductive data.
Departing the Sierra, and leaving behind our
friends Victor and Miriam, we proceeded south
for a stop in San Martín Tilcajete, where many of
the artistic residents make their living constructing
brightly-colored real or fantasy animals from wood
that are called “alebrijes” (Fig. 9). These unique
items are sold around the world. Many of these
indigenous people were acquainted with cama-
leones and offered responses to our question-
naires (Fig. 10). Some seemed to believe horned
lizards to be venomous, perhaps due (suggested
one family) to having eaten coral snakes. This is
difÀcult for us to understand, but perhaps is worth
further ethnobiological investigation?
Then returning to central Mexico we visited with
Tania in Pachuca, Hidalgo, to share our delightful
memories and ethnographic surveys. All of us are
looking forward to other great adventures with
Mexico’s wonderful diversity of horned lizards.
Acknowledgements: We thank Jong Yeol Moon
and the students of Victor Aguirre Hidalgo Ríos
at the Universidad de la Sierra Juárez for Àeld
and survey assistance. Dr. Fausto Roberto
Méndez de la Cruz (UNAM), the Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México, and the Universi-
dad de la Sierra Juárez provided logistical sup-
port. The Comisariado Ejidal de Ixtlán de Juárez
granted permission of access and study. Alfonso
Hernández-Ríos received support from the Con-
sejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología and the
Consejo Mexiquense de Ciencia y Tecnología.
Literature Cited:
García-Pareja, M. 2012. Biología reproductora
de Phrynosoma asio (Phrynosomatidae) en el
cerro Tepetlayo, Zumpango de Neri, Municipio
de Eduardo Neri. Bachelor Thesis. Universidad
Autónoma de Guerrero. Chilpancingo, Guerrero,
México. 46 p.
Gutiérrez-Santillán, T.V., A. Moreno-Fuentes, and
I.G. Mayer-Goyeneches. 2010. Cosmos, corpus
y praxis: estudio comparativo entre Nahuas y
Otomíes del estado de Hidalgo, México: El caso
del “camaleón.” Pp. 81-94, In, Sistemas Biocog-
nitivos Tradicionales: Paradigmas en la Conser-
vación Biológica y el Fortalecimiento Cultural,
Edited by A. Morenos Fuentes, M. T. Pulido Silva,
R. Mariaca Méndez, R. Valadez Azùa, P. Mejia
Correa, and T. V. Gutiérrez Santillán. pp. 486.
Gutiérrez-Santillán, T.V. and W.C. Sherbrooke.
2014. Visiting the Mexican Plateau Horned
Lizard (Phrynosoma orbiculare) at El Parque
Ecoturistico “El Camaleón,” Hidalgo, México:
with Historical and Ethnobiological Commentary.
Phrynosomatics 19(1):4-9.
(Photographs by Alfonso Hernández Ríos and
Fig. 9. Two horned lizard alebrijes from San Martín Tilcajete, Oaxaca,
México. (collection of Wade C. Sherbrooke)
A Trip to Encounter the Short -horned Lizard... - continued from page 5
Fig. 10. Esmeralda Bravo Hernández records information from the ethno-
biology survey in San Martín Tilcajete, Oaxaca, México. Note HLCS hat.

Phrynosomatics
November 2014 7
Esmeralda Bravo Hernández, and Fig. 10 by
Skylar W. Sherbrooke)
Authors:
Alfonso Hernández Ríos, Biól. Laboratorio de
Herpetología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México, DF, México.
Esmeralda Bravo Hernández, Biól. Instituto de
Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de
México, DF, México.
Tania Vianney Gutiérrez Santillán, M.S., Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Au-
tónoma de Hidalgo, Pachuca, México.
Victor Aguirre Hidalgo, Ph.D., Laboratorio de
Ecología y Biodiversidad, Universidad de la Si-
erra Juárez, Oaxaca, México.
Miriam Illescas Aparicio, Biól. Laboratorio de
Ecología y Biodiversidad, Universidad de la Si-
erra Juárez, Oaxaca, México.
Wade C. Sherbrooke, Ph.D., Southwestern
Research Station, American Museum of Natural
History, Portal, Arizona, USA.
Horned Lizard Research Grant 2015 Applications
The Horned Lizard Conservation Society is dedi-
cated to protecting horned lizards by document-
ing and publicizing the values and conservation
needs of horned lizards, promoting horned lizard
conservation projects, and assisting with horned
lizard management initiatives. Towards those
ends, the HLCS annually sponsors research that
has direct conservation applications. To learn
more about the society and past grants, go to
http://www.hornedlizards.org/.
We will be offering two $800- grants in 2015.
One grant will be awarded for research and an-
other grant will be awarded for education.
To apply, send a proposal detailing the goal of
the study, the rationale for it including relevance
to conservation of horned lizards, and how your
work would beneÀt from this opportunity. The
proposal may not exceed 1000 words, excluding
up to ten references. Also include a preliminary
budget with any other funding sources available
or received for your project. In addition, send a
short resume or CV (up to 3 pages) for the lead
applicant and have a single letter of reference
sent to Megan Lahti: megan.lahti@gmail.com.
The deadline is January 1, 2015. The decision
will be announced by January 31, 2015.
By Bill Brooks
One more year, one more fantastic time. Jim and
Bette Armstrong and I had a delightful day in the
shadow of the Eastland county court house, the
Ànal resting place of Old Rip.
The HLCS has had a booth at this small town
festival for so many years that we have devel-
oped friendships with a great number of people.
Thanks once again go out to Bill Brock who has
reserved and paid for our booth for many years.
If you don’t know Old Rip, the most famous
horned lizard in the world who visited the presi-
dent of the U.S.—you should. It’s a great story.
Check it out.
Leslie Nossaman, Fannie Messec, Lucy Coward,
and Celia Escamilla and others all do outreach
for the society. If you would like to have a HLCS
booth at your local nature festival, please let us
know. We will supply you with handouts and sup-
port if possible.
The Old Rip Festival 2014

Phrynosomatics
November 2014
8
Member Highlight—Megan Lahti
By Megan Lahti
When I mention to my stu-
dents that I am a herpetologist,
they always ask why I chose
this Àeld. While I have many
answers for this, I will share
with you my Àrst reason, which
is that reptiles and amphib-
ians chose me. I took about a
week to author my Àrst book
while I was in kindergarten (in
between recess, reading, and
nap time): Mother May I Keep
Him? I eagerly scribbled words
with my atrocious penman-
ship, and Àlled in my sketches
with crayons with the perfec-
tion of a 5 year old. I am ad-
mittedly still proud of my Àrst
book, mostly because it’s my
only book. I was elated to read
my book to the class, and tell
what in retrospect is a fairly
dark-humored story for my then
age. In the story, a girl (myself)
Ànds a snake while playing in
the yard and ecstatically car-
ries it inside to her mother in
the kitchen. As my mother turns
around to look, I shove the
snake into her hands, hoping
for her to share my excitement.
The snake sheds its skin, my
mother screams, and I ask with
sincere hope, “mother may I
keep him?”
The end of this story, it turns
out, was just the beginning for
my career as a herpetologist,
and the dismay of my parents.
Fortunately for my parents (as
much fortune they are spared
from my childhood), my inter-
ests shifted towards lizards. I
was a freshman in high school
when I realized I could make a
living chasing lizards—and so
began my path to becoming a
Ph.D., or as my students like to
say, “a lizard doctor.” Now, as a
Professor of Biology at North-
ern Arizona University – Yuma
and an adjunct professor at Ari-
zona Western College (Yuma,
AZ), I have the opportunity to
educate others about my pas-
sions through teaching courses
in biology and environmental
science.
My passion is to study the ecol-
ogy and conservation of horned
lizards. My interests include
investigating thermal tolerance
and body size evolution of liz-
ards in cooler climates, such as
the pygmy short horned lizard
(Phrynosoma douglasii) in the
PaciÀc Northwest and dwarfed
populations of the short horned
lizard (P. hernandesi) in the
San Luis Valley, Colorado.
I have experienced such amaz-
ing opportunities through-
out my career: driving down
roads in Mexico that are only
inches wider than the wheels
in search of Mexican beaded
lizards, walking on high eleva-
tion sand dune formations in
Colorado
in search of horned
lizards surrounded by 14,000 ft
mountains,
having my rubber
boots get stuck with each step
in a muddy stream in search of
salamanders, slipping clumsily
in rocky rivers covered with al-
gal Àlm in search of red-legged
frogs, and of course count-
less nights of road cruising in
search of creatures seeking
warmth from the road. It is
through these adventures that
I have traveled to new places,
seen incredible wildlife, made
new friends, and observed
Àrst-hand what I had learned
in school. For me, this is what
makes Àeldwork so addictive,
and the desire to share my
passion with others.
In Yuma, most students consid-
er the landscape to be deso-
late, inhospitable, and gener-
ally unpleasant. To an extent,
they are right. Films such as
Star Wars, Space Balls, 3:10 to
Yuma, and countless wartime
movies portray precisely these
qualities. But, when they be-
come part of the science pro-
gram at NAU and AWC, they
learn the exact opposite. For
me, this is the greatest beneÀt
to being a professor. Engaging
students into a world in which
they are surrounded but never
knew about.
Last year, a colleague and I
were recipients of the HLCS
grant in education. Through
this, we hosted a training to
educate people about Áat-tailed
horned lizard (P. mcallii) con-
servation and basic Àeld sur-
vey methods. A handful of the
participants had never walked
beyond pavement, and were
awestricken at the experience.
As a herpetologist, Yuma is
a hot spot in terms of reptile
and amphibian diversity; in the
area, there are over 50 spe-
cies, some of which are en-
demic. And, the overall biodi-

Phrynosomatics
November 2014 9
versity is equally amazing, especially in a good
rain year. With most people spending over 90%
of their lives indoors, exposing students to their
living surroundings, and watching them gain a
similar passion, is truly rewarding.
As Director-at-Large for the HLCS, I am proud
to see the support of the Society and the educa-
tional component that is so desperately needed
for horned lizards, especially those on the cusp
of becoming endangered or extinct. My goal is to
bring an increased awareness to horned lizards
and gain protection for them through education,
awareness, and research. Lizards are an evolu-
tionary oddity, with their less than athletic body
forms, ornate horns, unique behaviors, and calm
demeanors. It’s no wonder that horned lizards
are such curious creatures that capture our at-
tention and bring out our inner children.
Two years ago, my Environmental Science students conducted research
to increase rush milkweed germination and growth in an effort to improve
native habitat restoration for the monarch butterÁy. These students
presented their research at a local conference, and were awarded best
student poster.
Two summers ago I had the opportunity to travel to the Galapagos
Islands, and soon realized that I had found my second home among the
marine iguanas that littered the islands, abruptly snorting salt and care-
lessly walking over one another while basking on shore.
A large male short-horned lizard (P. hernandesi) from Mosca Pass in
Colorado. As part of my dissertation work, I collected life-history, morpho-
logical, diet, and genetic data on this population to compare against the
dwarfed populations of short-horned lizards in the San Luis Valley.
Please renew your annual HLCS membership!!!
HLCS depends on its membership for its conservation and educational
presence in the community.
Categories for
annual
memberships include:
Regular ........... $25
Student or Senior ........... $10
Family ........... $25 Each additional family member ........... $10
Contributing ........... $50
Corporate ........... $250
Lifetime
membership ........... $300
The HLCS welcomes contributions in any amount you wish to submit and is a 501(c)3 nonproÀt organization.

Phrynosomatics
November 2014
10
Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken Brood Survival—
The invertebrate and red imported Àre ant connection
By Dr. Mike Morrow, the Att-
water Prairie Chicken National
Wildlife Refuge Biologist
Fire ants were accidentally
introduced to the U.S. in the
1930’s from South America
on board a ship at the Port of
Mobile, Alabama. Eventually
occupying the entire southeast-
ern U.S., red imported Àre ants
(RIFA) Àrst showed up in Attwa-
ter Prairie-chicken (APC) habi-
tats around 1970 (http://www.
extension.org/pages/14911/
texas-quarantine-map).
While there are numerous
studies that point to adverse
impacts of RIFA on wildlife,
the prevailing expert opinion
until recently was that habi-
tat loss and fragmentation in
concert with adverse weather
(extremes at both ends of the
spectrum) and possibly genetic
bottle-necking were the most
important factors limiting APC
populations.
Others speculated that the cap-
tive stock, which has without
question saved the APC from
certain extinction, was incapa-
ble of survival and reproduction
in the wild. Intensive obser-
vations on eight APC broods
at the APC National Wildlife
Refuge in 2003 revealed that
no chicks survived past 11
days post-hatch. Several dead
or dying chicks were found with
brood hens at night roosts, indi-
cating that predation was not
the sole cause of chick mortal-
ity. Necropsy of these chicks
attributed cause of death to
inanition (i.e., exhaustion, as
from lack of nourishment) and
dehydration.
Prairie-chickens, like most gal-
linaceous species (e.g., quail,
pheasants, turkeys, grouse),
are primarily insectivorous dur-
ing their Àrst few weeks of life.
Therefore, based on the chick
necropsy results and the fact
that we were not seeing many
invertebrates (insects, spiders,
etc.) during the time that APC
chicks were on the ground, we
began what has become a long
journey to determine if inverte-
brate abundance was indeed
limiting APC chick survival, and
if so, why?
But Àrst, we had to Ànd out
what level of invertebrate
abundance was necessary
to support a prairie-chicken
brood. Since there were no
viable populations of wild APC
remaining, we did the next best
thing and compared inverte-
brates available to APC broods
with those available to healthy
greater prairie-chicken (GPC)
(Tympanuchus cupido pin-
natus) broods in Minnesota.
Dr. John Toepfer and his col-
league, Aaron Pratt, collected
invertebrate samples in Min-
nesota, and refuge staff col-
lected samples in APC range.
This comparison revealed
that samples from APC brood
habitat contained 70% fewer in-
sects than GPC brood habitat.
A review of the literature found
that researchers at the Brack-
enridge Field Laboratory near
Austin had observed a 75%
reduction in non-ant arthropod
numbers where RIFA were
present compared to areas not
yet invaded by RIFA. So we
began our multi-year investiga-
tion of RIFA impacts on inverte-
brates available to APC broods.
To make a long story short, the
aforementioned study funded
by NFWF represents the cul-
mination of several years of
study which has included
partners like Central Life Sci-
ences, Texas Parks and Wild-
life Department, The Nature
Conservancy of Texas, and
private ranchers, in addition
to those mentioned above. In
the NFWF study, which was
conducted during 2011–2012,
we (1) continued the evalua-
tion of whether invertebrates
were more abundant at suc-
cessful brood sites compared
to broods that failed during the
Àrst two weeks post-hatch; (2)
evaluated various hen charac-
teristics like hen source (wild-
hatched versus captive), hen
age, previous nesting experi-
ence, and time since release to
determine whether any of these
had signiÀcant impacts on
brood survival; and (3) expand-
ed the evaluation of RIFA on
invertebrate abundance during
May – mid-June (i.e., the APC’s
brooding period).
To assess the impact of RIFA

Phrynosomatics
November 2014 11
on APC brood habitat quality as indicated by
invertebrate abundance, Àve areas ranging
from 440–725 acres in Colorado (APCNWR),
Galveston (Texas City Prairie Preserve), Goliad
(2 private ranches), and Refugio (private ranch)
counties received applications of Extinguish®
Plus brand Àre ant bait to reduce RIFA abun-
dance. Extinguish® Plus was applied at the
recommended label rate of 1.5 lbs/acre by heli-
copter during early November 2010 and again in
late September 2011 during weather conditions
appropriate for application. Invertebrate samples
were collected from untreated and treated areas
beginning the last week in April following treat-
ment and continued for 3 consecutive bi-weekly
periods through early-June each year.
Brood survival data were collected from 44
broods from 2009–2012. Of these, 21 (48%)
were successful (i.e., still had chicks at two
weeks post-hatch). Overall, median invertebrate
numbers were 2.1 times higher at successful
brood sites compared to unsuccessful sites (128
versus 60, respectively). No other attributes
of hens (age, released from captivity or wild-
hatched, years since release for captive-reared
hens, or previous nesting experience or success
with Áedging chicks) hypothesized to affect brood
success were signiÀcant. Median total inverte-
brates/sample was 1.4 times higher for treated
sites compared to untreated controls. Median
dry weight of invertebrates/sample was 1.6 times
higher for treated sites compared to untreated
controls.
Data collected in this study clearly demonstrate
that availability of invertebrates during the Àrst
two weeks post-hatch is a major factor limiting
survival of young APCs. This study also clearly
demonstrated that the invasive RIFA has signiÀ-
cantly reduced invertebrate abundance within
historic and extant APC habitats. APC popula-
tions consistently declined during the 25-year
period following invasion of APC habitat by RIFA
circa 1970 (Figure 1). Therefore, it is likely that
the introduction of RIFA played a signiÀcant
role in the APC’s plunge toward the precipice of
extinction, and has frustrated recovery efforts in
recent years.
The full report of this research is posted at www.
attwater.org and at www.prairiegrouse.org.
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
Year
Figure 1. Attwater’s prairie-chicken (APC) population trends 1937–2012. The dotted line indicates the 25-year average population trend following inva-
sion of APC range by red imported Àre ants circa 1970.

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Table of Contents
A Trip to Encounter the Short-horned Lizard Phrynosoma braconneiri in Oaxaca, Mexico . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . pages 1, 3 - 7
Ríos, Hernández, Santillán, Hildalgo, Aparicio, and Sherbrooke
Horned Lizard Research Grant 2015 Applications . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. page 7
The Old Rip Festival 2014... . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. page 7
Bill Brooks
Member Highlight—Megan Lahti . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. pages 8 - 9
Megan Lahti
Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken Brood Survival—The invertebrate and red imported Àre ant connection . . .. . . .. . . pages 10 - 11
Mike Morrow
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Phrynosomatics
November 2014