San Antonio Zoo is celebrating a major conservation breakthrough after multiple Texas horned lizards raised through the zoo’s Center for Conservation & Research were recently rediscovered surviving in the wild, with researchers now hopeful the animals may even be reproducing naturally.
Often referred to as “horny toads,” the Texas horned lizard was once a familiar sight across the state before populations sharply declined due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and invasive species such as fire ants.
Now, years into ongoing reintroduction efforts, researchers say the iconic reptile is showing promising signs of recovery.
During routine monitoring in the field, researchers with the zoo’s Center for Conservation & Research made several exciting discoveries. One of the first rediscoveries came when a team member noticed a nearly invisible horned lizard camouflaged in the grass just inches away while collecting samples for genetic tracking.
“I set the collection container down and suddenly saw part of a horned lizard right next to me,” said Bekky Muscher-Hodges, Manager of the Center for Conservation & Research. “It was incredible. We always hope to find them, but moments like that never get old.”
Researchers later confirmed the lizard had hatched at the zoo in 2025 before being released into the wild only months earlier. Days later, another rediscovery followed when a female horned lizard hatched in 2024 was found living on a neighboring property nearly a third of a mile from where she had originally been released. Researchers said the lizard had survived independently for more than a year and reached full adult size.
The discoveries became even more significant after researchers identified a third horned lizard whose belly-spot patterns did not match any previously documented zoo-released animal.
Scientists believe the lizard could potentially be a wild-born offspring from previously released horned lizards, a development that would mark a major milestone toward establishing a self-sustaining population in Texas ecosystems. Genetic testing is currently underway to determine the lizard’s origin, though confirmation may take several months.
“These moments are why we do this work,” said Dr. Danté Fenolio, Vice President of the Center for Conservation & Research. “It’s one thing to release animals. It’s another to see them thriving in the wild, growing, and dispersing naturally. That’s real conservation impact.”
San Antonio Zoo President and CEO Tim Morrow said the effort is about restoring an important piece of Texas history and wildlife heritage.
“Reintroducing the Texas horned lizard is about restoring a piece of Texas heritage,” Morrow said. “Seeing them out there, living wild lives again, is something every Texan can be proud of.”
The reintroduction effort is supported through partnerships with private landowners and continued scientific research aimed at restoring habitats and rebuilding wild populations of the beloved reptile.
For researchers, each rediscovery represents more than just successful data collection. It signals hope that future generations of Texans may once again regularly encounter horned lizards in the wild.