was out at the place last week and saw 3 in 2 days. That's more than I have seen, total, in the lst ten years. Just wondering if they are making some sort of comeback. anyone else seeing any?

Yes I did in from 2003-2005 in La Salle county. I had not seen one in almost 30 yrs I guess and started seeing them daily with as many as 5 one day. All sizes of them. Even saw a Caracara try to get one once off a road. I can say I also so an increase in the old Red Ants also so I am guessing the 2 go hand in hand. From the pics posted on here this year alone I would say they are making a strong comeback.

That is pretty cool JJH. Where is your place located at??

Growing up we had a family farm in Eastern Bexar County about 20 miles E of SA just off of IH-10. It was literally teaming with them back in the 70s and it was not at all uncommon to see 15-20 of them just in my grandmother's front yard (2-3 acres). I have not seen one now in well over 25 years. The place my wife and I bought is near this same area I mention and we have no less than 20 very large red ant mounds on the place, which I was told the horny little toads eat, and 0 fire ants. I have told my kids to be on the lookout for one and if they see it make sure that they do not hurt it. I'd dearly love to see them make a comeback cuz they are a really cool animal. Take some pics next time and post them here in the photo thread.

I've already seen around 6 this year at the ranch. Seen more Toads than Rattlers. They feed on the big red harvester ants almost exclusively.

Better Toads than Rattlers. Only have seen one once at the ranch.

I posted a pic of the one I found earlier this year.

I never saw one till around '07 when we bought our place. We see a couple every year in southern duval county.

matt

Really glad to hear they are showing up again. Horned lizards and desert tortoises were an icon on south Texas road trips in the old days (pre-fire ants). Anybody seeing the tortaises showing up?

We found one torise last year... I had never seen one before, thought it was a turtle, but he didnt do so well in the water so we fished him out and let him be.

Maybe the Crazy Ants are running enough of the fire ants off so as to give the Texas Horned Lizard a rebirth.

When they make it back into East Texas, we can declare a comeback. I have never seen one. As a child my dad saw many on the place he grew up on in Nacogdoches Co.

During that same time frame I was in La Salle the Desert Tortoise was a regular on trips around the ranch weekly if not daily. The more rain the taller things were they harder they were to see and moved less. The drier the more I saw of them. Caracaras worked on them guys also. Watched a Caracara work at one on the road from a distance one day. I occassionly found a Tortoise dead and not sure what killed them.

I have seen several in the last year or so.

Been seeing them regularly out at my place in Baylor county. If they eat Harvester ants shouldn't be missing a meal any time soon. Was traveling along on of the ranch roads and had to shooo one out of the way; he kept running straight down the road in front of me, didn't want to run him over.

After the rut do they just become toads?

You know then I think just become a Horned Toad.

I have seen a couple in Haskell in the last few years.

saw one out on our farm last week. Last time I saw one out there was about 20 years ago.

I saw one in my front yard about a month ago. It scared my wife!!! Lol

Saw one a few months ago near Turkey. I was very happy to see him since I haven't seen one in over 15 years! We took tons of pics and honestly, felt very lucky just to have seen it! Sad thing is, when I showed my older kids (22 and 19), they looked at those pics like I had captured an alien on film! They had actually never seen one in their lives and only vaguely remembered even hearing about them.

I have not seen one since moving to East Texas from the Panhandle in '82.



MO

Saw 8 to 10 one day near the town of Silverton. And folks up there are seeing them more than than have in years. Hope they're on a major comeback.

Havn't seen one in 30 + yrs.

Not to interupt this thread and sound like da but what is a
Caracaras?

it's a large carrion-eating bird. Sometimes called a Mexican Eagle.

Thanks