Getting In On The Act

I had taken the last photo of the Cardinal and turned to continue along the trail when I happened to notice this Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus) looking straight at me from a tree on the opposite side of the trail:

The Texas Spiny Lizards spend most of their life in trees. I suspect this arboreal habitat might in part be an evolutionary adaptation to avoid becoming prey to the "large, ground-dwelling cuckoos," the Roadrunners, whose favorite food is lizards. As if the danger presented by Roadrunners isn't enough, this lizard must also avoid becoming dinner for the "large, ground-dwelling falcons," the Crested Caracara.

This set of photographs was taken along the Oak Loop Trail at Hardberger Park on Monday, October 21, 2013.