To an ant, the Texas-horned lizard is pretty much invincible. It’s sturdy, with years of evolution behind it to account for the food it eats, how it gets it and how it even protects itself against it. Texas-horned lizards love one thing, and it’s ants. Harvester ants specifically. It’ll eat up to 70 per day. Lying in wait near ant hills in the hot sun, as harvester ants line up to set about their daily duties, just to be scooped up with the lizard’s tongue in mere milliseconds. They’re tenacious little things, fighting back in mobs in every way they can. However, the animal itself has a special antitoxin designed counter the ants, making it an almost impenetrable defense. Every insect, from ladybugs, worms, spiders, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles are doomed to be digested, as even the inside of the lizard’s throat is abundant mucous, designed to nullify bites and stings against the toughest of insects. Realistically, it makes no sense for the lizard to eat ants as much as it does, often expending more energy eating them than the energy and nutritional value they get from having them ingested. They are myrmecophagous— a big word for a simple definition. They eat ants. They specialize in it. So much so they have naturally evolved a special digestive system to get the most nutrients they can out of the ants they eat. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say the Texas-horned lizard is made to eat. I’m sure it’s almost obvious.

Not to be arrogant or anything, but I believe the Copperhead effortlessly dominates in this category. The snake is equipped with fangs that release venom, and a heat-sensing organ that detects its prey. Does the Texas Horned Lizard have that? I think not.

Copperhead snakes eat 10-12 times a day, they eat a range of multiple meals, like insects, rodents, all the way to small birds and frogs. The copperhead lays motionless while waiting for its meal to come in its range. This is where the heat sensing organ comes into play. It detects animals that are warmer than the surrounding environment. Once the pit viper has located the prey it strikes. The initial attack is the most crucial because the snake has to inject the venom into the prey for it to die. They grab their prey, bite down while getting a tight grip on it and watch the larger prey squirm as it tries to survive the consequences of the venom. When the hemolytic venom takes effect, the viper swallows the prey whole. It relies on its powerful digestive system to break down the bones and fur of the prey ingested. Pretty cool right? Bet you that lizard can’t do that! The Texas Horned Lizard is lazy. All it does is sit around and eat. It just sits on it butt waiting for ants to feed themselves to it. Do the right thing, and vote for the Copperhead Snake!