Which of these is one way the horned lizard protects itself?
Basic Understanding of a Variety of Texts · TELPAS Grades 6–7 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Reporting category 2: find the main idea and key details, and follow what happens in stories and informational texts.
Read the passage. Then answer the questions.
The Texas Horned Lizard
Many Texans call it a "horny toad," but the Texas horned lizard is not a toad at all. It is a lizard, and it is the official state reptile of Texas.
The horned lizard has a wide, flat body covered with spiny scales. Large horns stick out from the back of its head. Its brown, spotted colors help it blend in with dirt and dry grass, so when it stays still, it can be very hard to see.
Its main food is the harvester ant, a large red ant that builds its nests in open, sandy, or rocky ground. A single lizard can eat a large number of these ants in one day.
Hiding is the lizard's first defense, but it has others. It can puff up its body so that it looks bigger and is harder to swallow. If a coyote or a dog attacks, the lizard can do something surprising: it squirts a stream of blood from the corners of its eyes. The blood has a taste these animals dislike, so they often drop the lizard and leave it alone.
Texas horned lizards were once common across much of the state, but today they have disappeared from many areas, especially in the eastern half of Texas. Scientists believe several causes worked together. Land where the lizards lived was turned into roads, houses, and farms. Pesticides and invasive fire ants reduced the number of harvester ants the lizards depend on for food. Because of this decline, the Texas horned lizard is now a protected species in Texas, and it is against the law to collect one or keep one as a pet.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Which of these is one way the horned lizard protects itself?
- It bites the attacker with sharp teeth.
- It runs to the nearest harvester ant nest.
- It puffs up its body to look bigger.Correct answer
- It changes color to match the sky.
Why “It puffs up its body to look bigger.” is correct
This tests locating a supporting detail. Paragraph 4 lists the lizard's defenses: hiding, puffing up its body, and squirting blood from its eyes. Only one choice matches a defense that the passage actually names.
Why the other answers are wrong
- It bites the attacker with sharp teeth. — Biting is not one of the defenses the passage describes.
- It runs to the nearest harvester ant nest. — Harvester ants are the lizard's food, not a place to hide.
- It changes color to match the sky. — Its colors match dirt and dry grass, and the passage never says it changes color.
Practice more of this
More reading practice for Grades 6–7, or see the TELPAS practice test for 6th and 7th grade.
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Texas Education Agency or the official TELPAS program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published test design.