Rockport Texas - The History, Legends & Lore 1st Printing | Page 78

RED-EARED SLIDER TURTLE (sp. Trachemys scripta elegans) They’re quite common, and you’ll find them in the swells and marshy areas of Aransas County (and throughout the U.S.). They can live for up to 70 years. Our local residents have been known to stop their cars and wait for them to cross the road. HORNY TOAD (sp. Phrynosoma cornutum) Even 30 years ago, the Horny Toad (or Texas Horned Lizard) was a popular species in the Rockport area. Its decline has left our local Residents asking: “What happened to our Horny Toads?” Fire Ants & Insecticides are to blame - both kill ‘Harvester Ants’, which are the Horny Toad’s primary diet. TRICOLORED HERON (sp. Egretta tricolor) They were once called the Louisiana Heron, and they range from Brazil to the Gulf Coast States. Even with a 38 inch wingspan, it’s considered small for a Heron. They have a white belly. LORE: When the Tricolored Heron senses danger, it will try to mimic a reed by, standing erect an d very still, while pointing its bill up vertically. 77