Horned Lizards: Nature and Culture

This chapter delves into the intriguing characteristics and behaviors of horned lizards, exploring their names and the cultural significance they hold among the Navajo people. It also examines their unique adaptive strategies for survival, including their ability to squirt blood as a defense mechanism, while drawing parallels to the science fiction themes in the Alien franchise. The discussion is enriched by references to the portrayal of reptiles in cinema, highlighting their cultural impact in the context of 'weird house cinema' and the American Southwest.