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
California toad California toad The California toad ("Anaxyrus boreas halophilus") is a subspecies of the western toad, along with the boreal toad. The California toad lives throughout the State of California, with the exception of south-eastern desert regions. Like the boreal toad, it feeds on a wide variety of insects and invertebrates. Its diet includes grasshoppers, beetles, flies, and mosquitos. The scientific name is "Anaxyrus boreas halophilus". Boreas is from the Greek word "boreas" which means “north wind” or “northern”, "halophilus" from the Greek "halos" meaning “sea” or “salt”, and "philos" meaning “having affinity for”. The California toad is less blotched (reduced