Celebrate Horned Lizard Day February 14th

As the most nauseating day of the year approaches, the traditionalists are busy buying little candy hearts and greeting cards, expensive jewelry and flower arrangements, to express their affection to the loves of their lives. Those of us who are bitter and alone and who have had it with the holiday are happily seeking out alternative plans. Here's what's on my calendar for February 14th: Celebrate Horned Lizard Day.

While the origin of Horned Lizard Day as a holiday is a mystery (at least to me), I applaud the cause. I've always been an anti-valentine; I've never felt the need to have a special day dedicated to expressing sugar-coated sentiments to my loved ones. Yet, I have a particular affinity for lizards. I grew up having pet lizards and frogs (although they weren't horned ones), and while living in Florida briefly as a teenager, I spent many days catching and playing with lizards in my grandparents' front yard. I'll gladly celebrate my love of lizards over candy-coated sentimentality any day.

Aside from choosing environmentalism over commercialism, there truly are good reasons to support the horned lizard. The animal is steadily disappearing from many regions, and although they are now legally protected in some areas, these lizards may be in trouble. Not only are the lizards losing their homes to urban development and agricultural conversion, they have also been over-harvested for the pet and curio trades. The lizards are also being beaten out by the invasions of exotic ants which have out-competed the types of ants lizards can survive on.

Wonder what a day is like in the life of the horned lizard?
Horned lizards get up before sun-rise. They often lay with their backs to the sun -- but don't mistake this with lounging. Lizards are always on high-alert for predators. Meanwhile, they're on the look-out for their own lunch -- ants ants ants! By the time their bellies are full, it's often mid-afternoon -- time to seek out the shade.