Student contest urges study
of Texas horned lizard

 

Texas Parks and Wildlife wants to hear people's stories and more in a historical essay contest called "Hometown Horned Toads."
Many Texans can recount fond memories of the official state reptile, the Texas horned lizard (not actually a toad), but many of these same Texans have noted that horned lizards have become increasingly rare over the last 30 years. The goal of Hometown Horned Toads is for students in grades three through 12 to document Texas horned lizard abundance, characteristics, and habitat in their communities and counties over time by recording personal experiences and oral histories.
Students should interview local residents and search newspaper articles, crop records, and aerial photographs. Students should look for habitats used by Texas horned lizards, changes in habitat in the local community over time, and unusual experiences people have had with horned lizards.
In counties where Texas horned lizards have declined the overall goal should be to document when and perhaps why horny toads disappeared.
Students will compete in three age groups. Those in grades three through five should submit a paper that is two to three pages long, including a copy of the interview questions; grades six through eight students should submit three to six pages and their questions; and grades nine through 12 should submit five to eight pages and interview questions.
Deadline for submission is March 1, 2002. Submissions will be judged by participating organizations, including Texas Parks and Wildlife's Wildlife Diversity Branch, Texas Historical Commission, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas Herpetological Society, and the Horned Lizard Conservation Society. Winners will be announced and prizes awarded by May 15, 2002.
Prizes will be awarded based on a combination of several criteria, including thoroughness of investigation, number of people interviewed, how many local written sources were accessed, quality of presentation, historical perspective, scientific analysis, neatness, and creativity.
For more information about Hometown Horned Toads essay contest or to receive a set of participant guidelines, check the web at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/education/tracker/ or call (512) 912-7011.