This lizard can shoot blood from its eyes (yes, you read it right)

How does the horned lizard shoot blood?

The horned lizard’s ability to shoot blood is a defence tactic used primarily to escape predators such as coyotes, foxes, and birds. When threatened, the lizard increases blood pressure in specialised sinuses around its eyes until tiny blood vessels burst, ejecting a stream of blood up to several feet away.

This sudden burst is often directed toward the predator’s face, creating a startling and confusing effect. In addition, the blood of some horned lizard species contains chemical compounds that taste foul or irritate the predator, further discouraging an attack.

According to the Smithsonian Institute, the process begins when the lizard restricts blood flow to the head by constricting the veins in its neck. This causes blood pressure around the eye area to rise dramatically. Eventually, this pressure causes the thin walls of the ocular sinuses to rupture, and blood is forcibly ejected.

The entire process is under voluntary control and can last for several seconds. Remarkably, the lizard does not suffer permanent damage; the blood vessels quickly repair themselves after the event.

The horned lizard’s ability to shoot blood is a defence tactic (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Why did this unique defense evolve?

Evolutionarily, this defense mechanism serves two important functions:

• Startling Predators: The sudden spray of blood and the unexpected action often surprise predators, giving the lizard a critical moment to flee.
• Chemical Deterrence: Some species’ blood contains chemicals that taste bad or irritate mucous membranes in predators, such as those found in canines and birds, discouraging them from pursuing the lizard further.

Horned lizards typically rely on camouflage and remaining still to avoid detection, but when caught, this blood-squirting adaptation becomes their last resort.

Horned lizards are native to North and Central America, especially thriving in arid and semi-arid environments like deserts and scrublands. Their unique blood-squirting defense is primarily observed in species such as the Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum).

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