Blood-spitting lizards; Alberta's rarest species

 

 

Alberta is home to a diverse range of creatures. The most intriguing of these is the blood-spitting lizard. The short-horned lizard is about the size of a teacup. The short-horned lizard, also known as the short-horned lizard, is the only lizard native to Alberta. It is an endangered species.

It is commonly found in habitats along the South Saskatchewan River, including the Meniberis Hills, the Chin Cooley/Forty Mile Cooley Complex, and the Milk River. It is known for its unusual defense mechanism. It defends itself by squirting blood from its eyes.

Its defense mechanism is created by filling the ocular sinuses, the tissues under its eyes, with blood. According to Ask Nature, they also use this method to remove dust and particles from the surface of their eyes. Their numbers are declining significantly in Alberta. In 2022, researchers from the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) found eight lizards, a record number ever found.