The Texas Spiny Lizard is native to the South central United States and parts of Mexico. They aren’t endangered at all and are quite common, and from looking at siting maps online it appears that they are mostly seen from central North Texas down to Northern Mexico.
They usually run and hide or climb a tree at the first sign of people, so I usually hear them scurrying through the leaves and twigs rather than see them. The lizard in the photos below ran out of the brush right in front of me and climbed about 7 feet up a nearby tree. I slowly made my way to him to get some photos around all the branches. He didn’t move much and kind of just waited patiently until I left.
As you can see they have some really long toes and are apparently well adapted to climbing trees. Their coloring does a pretty good job of blending in with tree bark as well providing some camouflage I suppose. I might not have noticed it while I was walking by if I didn’t know it was there.
Some people keep these as pets and feed them crickets, but I would rather they live in the woods and eat bugs. I wandered off in search of other interesting things and let this guy get back to catching bugs or finding a mate or whatever lizards do when we aren’t watching.
Jason Frels 
Looks a lot like some of the lizards we have in California, although ours are a little more silvery in color.
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I am not sure that this lizard knew where he was other than on a tree anyway. He could just as easily be a Kenyan spiny lizard as far as he knows.
Texans do have a tendency to call whatever animal they see a Texas version of that animal. I do check on this before making such an assertion. For instance, I often hear people refer to barn swallows as Texas barn swallows; they’re just barn swallows. The same with a lot of snakes. But this particular make and model of lizard seems to be most commonly found in Texas.
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I admire you Texans for your state pride. And it’s a fine looking spiny lizard you guys have.
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We do take full credit for this lizard.
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They may have pride but they don’t have special Texan food like we do with Pennsylvania Dutch food! Can’t beat shoofly pie and whoopie pies. 🙂
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With those kind of pies, I’ll take my chance with a Texan cow pie.
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Oh gosh! Well help yourself! I will take my shoofly pie sweetened with molasses.
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And full of stuck flies.
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Noooo!
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Doesn’t the buzzing bother you when you’re trying to eat it?
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There is no buzzing! So No! I savor the sweet taste on my tongue!
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Hmm, I didn’t know flies tasted sweet, having never eaten one, myself.
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I wasn’t talking about flies! Oooh I have not had luck with my words today. Would …smack my head… BUT due to someone who shall remain nameless, I am still waiting on a helmet! 😛
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This is sad. I’m starting to feel sorry for you.
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Haha! Yeah! I really believe that! No worries! My day will come, just not today obviously! 😜
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Uh-huh.
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But hey if still feeling a little sad, here look up! …….or maybe duck. Oh and you may want to put your helmet on, you know that thing that you have and I don’t!
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*#!CLINK!$@ Ouch! That one hit me on the forehead.
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😄 I mean sorry!
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And salty caramel. 🤢
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“No comment!”
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Shoe fly pies? Hmmmm……
Texas was actually heavily settled by Germans, hence…. me!
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You spelled it wrong! SHOO not a ShoE smartie!
I didn’t know that about Texas. So you have German background too?
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Well, my ancestors did. I don’t really identify as European. But ancestors came from Germany, Wales, England, and France I suppose. Paternal line goes back to Germany a couple of hundred years ago. Mainly just mutt American.
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LOL! Yes, I think a lot of us are Mutt American! Swiss-German is basically my background. Been to Switzerland and it ia beautiful!
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Now that is a cool lizard. 🙂 He does blend in really well with the tree. Glad he sat so still for you to get some good pics!
Hopefully he finds a mate. 🙂 Or he could already have one and she was at home wondering what was taking him so long on his outing!
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Now why would you hope he finds a mate?
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Well Myrtle found her mate so doesn’t he deserve a mate as well?
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I don’t know. I’d hate to speak for him.
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Yeah right!! You can speak for a cow, pig,chicken,gnu and a turtle, but not a lizard? I think he probably stayed so long on that tree due to having a conversation with you!
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The only thing he wanted to talk about was bugs. Maybe he’d like some of your shoe fly pie.
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….mmm…!!
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I just found your blog. Nice.
Are you a native Texan? I was transplanted there 2002-2011 in Round Rock (well…Brushy Creek). I worked in downtown Austin for the General Land Office (Stephen F. Austin building). I still miss it.
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Yes, I am native to Texas. I have lived around Austin since 2000. I from down on the Gulf Coast mainly and I do miss being close to the beach.
Thanks
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Now we’ve both recently seen Texas spiny lizards and had a similar reaction to their camouflage on tree bark.
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With all of this time off, I have become quite familiar with my local park and the wildlife there in. I never knew we had so many rabbits around here, but they’re nearly as thick as squirrels.
I have also seen several different varieties of snakes that I have been trying to identify. They just don’t sit still long enough to study. I saw a couple of nice looking diamondback water snakes swimming around in a pond and watched them for a while. I only got iPhone photos and they weren’t very good.
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The time we were at your local park a couple of months ago a woman on the trail told us to be careful about a snake she’d seen nearby. When I asked what kind she said she thought it was a cottonmouth.
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I have seen some small dark gray snakes in the creek, but I never get a good enough look at them to tell. Cottonmouths are purported to be very timid around people and flee as soon as we’re about, and that is what these snakes did. But I can’t say for certain.
I did find a cottonmouth when I was working on the coast in my younger days. I had thick boots and nearly stepped on him. I also had a weed axe and he stood no chance. I feel bad about that now.
I have seen red stripped ribbon snakes around as well, they are fun to watch.
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Too cute. I want to pat him (or her) and make him (or her) boing against the tree. I will giggle and the lizard will give me a dirty look before leaving my selfish glee.
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