Texas Horned Lizard Art

K - 2 Activity - Teacher Directions

Spike

Summary

Students create a horned lizard picture using torn paper.

Background

The Texas horned lizard is a reptile that likes to bask in the sun during morning hours but seeks the shade in the hot hours of the afternoon. It is a fierce looking creature that is covered with horns or spikes, including two prominent spikes on its head. It is brownish in color. An interesting defense this reptile has is to puff out its body, hiss, and squirt blood from its eyes to scare away predators. It is the only species of horned lizard to have dark brown stripes that radiate downward from the eyes and across the top of the head. Read more facts about the Texas Horned Lizard and about the Texas Horned Lizard Watch and Essay Contest.

Texas Horned Lizard

 

 

Materials

Brown construction paper
Glue
Copies of horned lizard outline on paper or colored construction paper
"Wiggly" craft eyes, optional
Black pipe cleaners, optional

Procedure
  1. Have students tear one 8 1/2" by 11" sheet of brown construction paper into one inch "ragged" pieces.
  2. Glue torn pieces in a mosaic fashion inside the outline of the horned lizard, choosing two "sharp, pointy" pieces for the two prominent spikes on the head of the lizard.
  3. Draw eyes and/or sunglasses like the TPWD mascot "Spike" (Optional: Use "wiggly" craft eyes and/or fashion sunglasses out of black pipe cleaners.)

Activity developed for TPWD by Vicki Almour.