Horny toads sketch

Possible future evolution of horned lizards (horny toads). Very rough sketches, just thinking on paper. And beware of my Latin/Greek, it's amateur.

A. Longhorn lizard Crucicornus vulgaris (Common crosshorn)

A fairly simple variation with long, cross-twisted horns that protect the neck.

B. Pricklepuff Inesculentus afflautus (Inedible inflater)

A reptilian version of the pufferfish. The scales have developed into long spines that lay flat. When the lizard is threatened it gulps air and inflates like a balloon, which makes the spines stick out. Very hard for a predator to swallow!

C. Blood archer Hemolacymus artemis (Blood-weeping Artemis - legendary mythical hunter)

Horny toads squirt blood out of their eyes as a defense mechanism. This variant actually shoots the blood at insect prey, gumming up the wings and causing them to drop out of the sky.

D. Sapscratcher Spiculidorsus ichordatum (Sharp-backed offerer of sap)

This lizard hangs out on cactuses, gouging them with its long foreclaws to release sticky sap. Insects are attracted by the moisture, and the lizard picks them out of the air with its long tongue. Long spines on its back both protect it from predators and allow it to blend in with the cactus.

E. Bloodeey Hemolacrymus tantalus (Blood-weeping tempter)

Like its ancestor, it weeps blood but does so to attract bloodsucking insects. It can lick dinner right off its own face, about the ultimate in sheer laziness.

F. Land Shark Cryptovenator suffosius (Hidden predator, sufficient)

A massive predator that looks like a cross between a nodosaur and a crocodile. It lays buried just under the sand, perfectly camouflaged, and explodes out to grab unwary prey.