November's Presentation

Michael's talk looks at the real animal behind TCU’s famous mascot: the Texas horned lizard. It’s the official state reptile and a childhood memory for many Texans, but it has become hard to find across much of its former range.

Michael co-founded the Dallas–Fort Worth Herpetological Society and has taught herpetology to Master Naturalist classes for years. A retired Psychological Associate from Arlington, he has written three books for Texas A&M University Press. Herping Texas: The Quest for Reptiles and Amphibians (2018) was co-written with Clint King. The Wild Lives of Reptiles and Amphibians (2020) is a guide for young readers. Mindfulness in Texas Nature (2024) draws on his 35-year career in psychology.

He also leads mindfulness walks at the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge and writes for Green Source Texas and his Substack, Rain Lilies.

Whether you grew up chasing horny toads or have never seen one, don’t miss this look at one of Texas’s most iconic creatures.