John Floyd, age 11, of Thomasville, :So. Carolina, for his question:

What exactly is a horned toad?

When you see him squatting in his sandy southwestern deserts, you just might mistake him for a toad who has traded his warts for a handful of small, stiff prickles. Actually he is not related to the toads, who are amphibians. He is an iguana type lizard, and lizards, of course, are reptiles. The so called horned toad is no beauty and a moody expression suggests that he prefers to be left alone.

This may be so, because he is ready to discourage all who molest him. If his prickles don't jab you, he squirts a jet of blood from one eye, or both eyes. We know of 14 horned toad species, all of them natives of the arid regions of the United States and Mexico. acme species are born alive and others hatch from eggs. All of them are harmless little creatures who live mostly on insects. They live lazy lives, enjoying the peaceful solitude of their sunny deserts