Artist Reply: Thanks Tazda! THese I will handle, but the sidewinder that came to visit the other night, my brother put his sword collection to use. Hate to do it, but too dangerous for us, the pets, and my grandkids to have to worry about.

Artist Reply: Thanks Maddison! They look prickly, but are actually kind of soft. All for looks. Very calm when handled. I had it walking around my hand for quite a while with the palm open and it didn't move much but to look around. It moved up to the lense and peered in so I had to back up an inch or two. Some of the toads are lighter in color, some are more tan to grey. This one was living around my garden by some red rocks, so not sure if this or diet (I've some red clay dirt in patches in the yard that it may have digested and effected the color.) I took as many photos as I wanted and he nicely obliged.

Artist Reply: Thanks my friend! Long live all the wonders of nature on our earth. These toads are so amazing, yet you can easily pick them up. I know where several live, where I relocate them. I hope to get my garden up and fensed in to keep them there. Won't be doing gardening much this summer, will be traveling. I will be able towards August, which is a fall planting season out here. I try to provide places, like old tree stumps to place in the garden for little visitors to live. I provide aeras for the jackrabbits to grass on natural plants in the back areas of my property. Trying to set up a rabbit proof garden. Meanwhile, putting in desert lanscaping, bushes and trees as I can. I also plant things the rabbits won't eat. When I fence off my garden area for me, the dogs will also have no access. I can put up birdhouses and baths. Right now I have a few drip lines that wrap up a metal fence pole that I put a fountain basin. The dogs can't get the birds up there, so they have fresh water each day. I've well water, so it all goes back down what is not used by the animalsor plants. Bandit did bring me a smile! I will have a great mother's day, and be spoiled by my own kids, and from several of thier friends that grew up and are family to us. I get cards from Girl Scouts I had and still have, from children I work with at school. Yep, really spoiled!

Artist Reply: Thank you Nelly! He was a beautiful creature!

Artist Reply: Thanks Sara! In my childhood dreams I wondered about ever getting to see them. I'd find a garter snake, catch toads or frogs, but seldom saw a lizard. More apt to catch a newt. These are a cool reptile to watch.

Artist Reply: Thanks Epsylon! If they weren't protected, I'd have one as a pet. They are so calm and gentle when handled. I pick them up when I find them to move them where the dogs aren't allowed by. They only really like to chase lizards, and these won't run.

Artist Reply: LOL! I've always been both! I used to hang out with my brothers and the guys and play sports, not asking for anyone to be easy on me. I also, as you may have noticed in my works, have the femine works, all pretty stuff. Mistly, there is the part of me that is always learning and curious. It's a lizard I'm holding, not one that's known to eat people, so no biggie. I can clean up the remains of a jackrabbit the dogs tug of war fought, while scolding them. I dislkine that they kill it, but then, were are over run this year, so some will starve. I wish for a stronger fit body, but always has a wuzzy one, got sick, and whizzy. So challeged to make up for it because I'm stubborn. I will cry over a sentiment, and not from extreme physical pain, but suck it up and try to deal. Give me flowers, I will, 1 smell them, 2 take photos for art work, 3. dry them to make art or potpurri, or, orcassionally, eat the edible ones. Often, take them to share with a child. Respect and in awe of nature. Have fears, but not with this lizard. Wouldn't want to mess with the GIla Monster lizards out here. They are the pitbulls, large, aggressive, bite and have to go get them removed at the hospital, and venonmous. Those, I'd be careful of, I'd relocate out of my yard, but not by holding it in my hand.

Artist Reply: Thanks Chris, these are curious and he actually head butted my lens if I got to close. He was just chiling, and moved slow around my hand. Just glad these don't grow the size of a cat.

Artist Reply: Thank you Joke, not a flower, but still a beauty.

Artist Reply: Thank you! He was a great model, he would move a tiny bit, look at the lense, and almost fall asleep in my hand.

Artist Reply: Ugly! LOL! I think he's beautiful! Take a better look! He's amazing! You should use him as a model for one of your critter portraits. I took all sorts of close up angles. He's cute!

Artist Reply: Thank you Carliss!

Artist Reply: THank you Emily! I love the colors and whole design of these lizards. They are like little dinosaurs.

Artist Reply: Thank you Anne! As a child I grew up in the Maryland area, and would hear or read about horny toad lizards. They were on my wish list of animals to see, that and road runners. I will be really happy if I can get clear photos of the roadrunners that sneak around my property. They are so fast, I never have the camera ready or set to get a great close up shot. ALso trying to get the prairie dogs by my gate.

Artist Reply: Thanks Jose!

Artist Reply: Thanks Loredana! He looks so bad and nasty, but actually feels soft. Make a cool dragon design.

Artist Reply: Thanks Timothy! I love the range of colors and vaieties these come in as well. They are very calm lizards. Protected, so, I do my best to keep them that way. Unless it's a venonmous snake, we also relocate snakes. Some, we toss under the house for rodent control. Better than pesticides.

Artist Reply: Thanks Barbara! These are such awesome looking lizards. I relocate other critters as well. I go out at night and catch the toads that come out from about June to September from hybernation. They all secrete venon from their ears, such as the Colorado River Toad. There are a few varieties of toads in the desert here. The Colorado ones can get as large as a dinner plate. They look like toads on steroids. Dogs tend to want to play with them all. It can make them sick, even kill small dogs. So in a few weeks, at night, my dogs get locked up in a smaller fenced off area so no to get toads. My idiot husky actually likes them, and gets stoned. I relocate them to a area that has dry washes and a few miles down the road on a preserve land. That way they are safe, and the dogs are too.