The zoo is raising and releasing the animals through its Center for Conservation & Research. Since the project's start in 2017, CCR has released 157 Texas Horned Lizards, a threatened species, back into the wild.
The San Antonio Zoo has partnered with Chiron K9, known as the Texas Horned Lizard Detection Canine Network, to ensure the recently birthed animals' safe release.
Chiron K uses dogs to track and monitor the lizards after their release and assess the presence or absence of horned lizards in potential release sites, according to a zoo officials. The canines are trained to detect live horned lizards, scat, eggs and shed skin.
The lizards, considered Texas' state reptile, were once abundant statewide. However, they have disappeared over the past 50 years due to habitat loss, fragmentation and invasive species. The decline led to their inclusion on the state's threatened species list.
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