Join us as we host Ariana Aronis, Conservation and Research Technician at the San Antonio Zoo, to learn about her work on this project, novel ways to find the horned lizards in the wild, and more.

Program Topic
Many Texans have fond childhood memories of the iconic “horny toad” (Phrynosoma cornutum). Once abundant across western Texas, populations have declined or disappeared since the late 1960s due to habitat deterioration and loss, invasive species (exotic grasses and imported fire ants), and pesticide use. In 1977 the horned lizard was added to the state list of threatened species, and was adopted as the Texas state reptile in 1993.
The Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project at the San Antonio Zoo Center for Conservation & Research (CCR) is entirely funded by private grants and donations. Working with private landowners to introduce zoo-hatched lizards into areas where the species has disappeared in recent decades, CCR staff assess candidate release sites using remote habitat ranking and boots-on-the-ground surveys. Effective post-release monitoring is critical to the success of the project, and one method involves a partnership with Chiron K9’s Horned Lizard Detection Canine Network, using specially trained dogs to find the lizards. Population management strategies also address understanding ecological interactions, including health effects of gastrointestinal parasites.

About our Presenter
Ariana Aronis was born in New York but grew up in Piraeus, Greece where her love for stray cats and pet rodents developed into a desire to work with animals. Returning to New York, she earned a BS in Environmental Sciences from Queens College and then worked at the Bronx and Staten Island Zoos. In 2011 she joined the veterinary department of the San Antonio Zoo and since 2019 has been a Conservation and Research Technician at the Center for Conservation & Research. She now works with several threatened and endangered amphibian, reptile, and fish species, including the iconic Texas horned lizard. Her research focuses on the health effects of gastrointestinal parasitism in Texas horned lizards and the best management strategies.

For more information:
SA Zoo: https://sazoo.org/conservation/

https://sazoo.org/conservation/texas-horned-lizard-reintroduction-project/

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