Dorothy Watkine, aged 9, of Dallas, Texas for her question:

Can you feed a horned toad raw hamburger?

Dorothy has a horned toad for a pet. At first sight, this fellow may have seemed very ugly indeed. But a person does not have to be good‑looking to b e a goad friend. Nor does an animal have to be handsome to make a good pet. A horned toad is an easy pet to care for. However, you may have to test what he will eat and what he will not eats

Actually, the horned toad is not a toad at all. He belongs to the lizard family of the reptile clan. There are twelve cousin horned toads in America. Their homes range all the way from Nebraska to Kansas. Some prefer life on the mountains, others prefer the prairies or deserts.

Your pet ,will be most comfortable if you give him a background to match his coat. If it is reddish, give him a floor of reddish earth and stones. For that is the color of his native home. If he is grey, then find him some grey sand and stones. He has a double row of button‑marks down his back. If these spots are very marked, then place him among some small pebbles to match his buttons.

Lizards do not use up much oxygen. So you can keep him in a glass box covered with a glass lid. You only need to lift the glass lid once a day. Sprinkle a little water around in the glass box to keep the air moist. Give the beautiful fellow a dish of water.

Now for his diet. In his native state, the horned toad loves to eat ants. He will also eat beetles, wasps, bees and other insects. He is a meat eater and he likes his meat alive. Hut when captured, the horned toad may be a bit choosey about his diet.

Your pet may refuse to eat the ants you put into his box. You may try him with flies, wasps, beetles and bees, It is very interesting to watch him eat. He catches his prey with a long sticky tongue. In this he is like the real toad, The tongue flashes out so fast you can hardly see it. Insects seem to disappear.

If he refuses all this food, you may still tempt him, You may fool him with a small bit of fresh meat on a string. Wave it by his nose fast. He may mistake it for a flying insect. And yes, he may very well come to enjoy raw hamburger. Hut you must serve it up to him dust right,.

Once in a while you may take your ugly‑handsome pet out to dine. Place him near an antsy or any other supply of live insects. He will have a fine time for himself. A horned toad has one trick which is interesting to watch. He can squirt blood from his eye. He will do this only once in a while and only when he is upset. If he squirts blood at you, he is unhappy and afraid. That you do not want. So put him back in his box where he can feel safe and comfortable again.