Ol' Rip the Horned Toad returned to the courthouse. Some speculated that the body in the coffin was a substitute, with the real lizard being held in a private collection. Looney Tunes character, Michigan J. Frog was inspired by Ol' Rip's story. Ol' Rip the Horned Toad Ol' Rip (died January 19, 1929) was a horned lizard (commonly referred to as a "horned toad" or "horny toad") whose supposed 31-year hibernation as an entombed animal is believed by some and doubted by others. His name is a reference to the fictional character Rip Van Winkle. In 1897, a horned lizard was placed in a cornerstone
Texas toad water bodies for breeding include the Gulf Coast toad ("Incilius valliceps"), the green toad ("Anaxyrus debilis"), the Great Plains narrow-mouthed toad ("Gastrophryne olivacea") and Couch's spadefoot toad ("Scaphiopus couchii"). The Texas toad sometimes hybridizes with Woodhouse's toad ("Anaxyrus woodhousii") or the Great Plains toad ("Anaxyrus cognatus"). The Texas toad has a wide range and a large total population and is one of the most common toads in the southern United States. It is tolerant of changes in its habitat and is present in cultivated areas as well as grasslands and savannahs. No particular threats have been identified and the International