scales | Eyes on the Streets

This downtown Vegas mural was painted by Belgian artist known as ROA in 2014.

giant treet art mural on the side of a building, in grey tones, a giant horned lizard, with 6 skinny palm trees in front as well as some cars parked in front

It is a type of lizard known as a Horned Toad (or Horntoad, Horn Lizard). If you want to get scientific, they are of the genus Phrynosoma. These reptiles are native to western North America where they prefer desert or sandy semi-desert areas. The mural is painted in bluish grey tones but these lizards are actually brown so they are well camouflaged in sand and dirt.

close up of head on ROA street art mural of a giant horned lizard. open eye, spikes on head, blunt nose,

If there is a predator nearby, the lizard puffs itself up to look bigger and harder to swallow. At least five species of horned toads can also squirt a stream of blood at the predator. The blood comes from tiny blood vessels near their eyes. Apparently it doesn’t taste very good and some predators have second thoughts about eating the lizard.

close up of scales and horns on ROA street art mural of a giant horned lizard

Photos taken April 2023

More ROA murals as seen on Instagram

Hollywood Florida that is.

One of the murals found in downtown Hollywood Florida is one by Tati Suarez (aka tati and @tatunga) that features mermaids with long flowing hair and purple tails. Because it is very wide, I’ve taken pictures of it in sections. From left to right here it is:

below: Greenish hair and yellow hair

two mermaids with yellow hair in a mural by tati in downtown hollywood florida, tatunga, mermaids are with a large blue fish