Back when I was a teenager, I loved lizards. I had a few of those small chameleons and a gecko, but that was about it. I was fascinated with how they lived and what they ate. I didn't even mind their food (crickets) getting out of the cage in the middle of the night. I loved my lizards, but I don't think they loved me. I always take interest, though, any time I see something new about lizards. However, if I would have seen one of these lizards I would have probably run for the hills.

The Short Horned Lizard lives in North America. That's not the strange part, though. The weird thing about this animal is that when it gets defensive, it shoots blood from its eyes. That's right, blood! In an attempt to scare of a predator, this animal will use that in order to save itself.

They range from two to five inches in length and vary in color from a gray, yellow or reddish-brown. They have short stubby legs and a row of dark large spots on its back. Female short horned lizards can usually live about five years, while it is currently unknown how long a male can live.

These animals feed primarily on ants. They sometimes feed on other insects such as spiders, bees and caterpillars, but they are usually found waiting for an ant to walk by so they can snatch it up and enjoy a delicious gourmet meal.

Their first line of defense is actually to camouflage themselves. If that doesn't work they will usually inflate their bodies to twice the normal size. If that fails too, they will then hiss and point their horns forward. As a last resort they will then squirt blood from their eyes.