Description
Joe Barrington
American, b. 1956
Horned Toad, 1998
Steel
National Museum of Wildlife Art Collection
CURATOR VOICE
Artist Joe Barrington, grew up in East Texas hunting, fishing, and becoming familiar with a wide range of wildlife, including horned toads. Horned toads, named for their pointy spines, are not found in this part of Wyoming, but can be seen in drier parts of the state. These reptiles are not actually toads, rather lizards with a somewhat toad-shaped bodies. This interesting creature uses camouflage and other strategies to ward off hungry predators. Some species inflate their body to twice its normal size; others can shoot blood from vessels in their eyes to confuse and repel predators.
- Jane Lavino, Sugden Family Curator of Education and Exhibits