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Hi All,
I found this old envelope and am curious if anyone has any clue what the Coalinga Horned Toad Derby was all about?

If it was what I think it was then there must have been a lot of very unhappy Lizards on that day.
Cheers!

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Cables Home
2 Kings 6:15-17

Cable take a look at this link.
Annual Coalinga Horned Toad Derby

I can't believe you found that link Gordon! It just never occured to me that it would still be happening.
I showed that page to my wife and she says we have to go see it now.
Thanks for the post. Have you ever been there?
Cheers!
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Cables Home
2 Kings 6:15-17

I can see it coming now. Unfortunately, due to CA state law it is illegal for people to interact with the coast horned lizard unless you drive a bulldozer. So it wont be long before a stop is put to the derby. I was told by a F&G officer you are breaking the law if you photograph one without a permit because it is a form of harassment and disturbance, even if you don't touch the lizard. I can't imagine if they find out people are racing them. Yet hundreds and hundreds of acres are being developed everyday and they won't do a thing. In fact they stop people from saving them. There are serious problems with conservationists and the laws they try to pass. Instead of focusing on habitat preservation they want to place the blame on hobbyist, people interacting with them, and people that own dirtbikes (more are killed by cars on paved roads but that never comes up because they drive a car) and they certainly wouldn't let people propagate them and produce more. I wonder what F & G would say if you told them the people that work for them have killed hundreds and hundreds of HLs by stabbing them with beads and superglueing backpacks on them. They're so smart but they can't figure out the appendages they add cause lizards to get hung up and cook or attract predators so they can be eaten. At least after the derby I'm sure they will be released without an unwanted piercing or an extra appendage.

No Jeff. I worked with Coalinga a few years back on the issue and they have permits through Fish and Game. A rancher nearby protects the HLs on his ranch and each year he gathers several of the HLs for the Derby. The HLs are maintained in compliance with an MOU with F&G. The HLs are returned to their habitats on the ranch. At one time, CHLs were not used. Desert Horned Lizards were used due to the increased protection and status for the Coast Horned Lizards. The CHLs are examined, pre and post Derby use. The people of Coalinga are aware of the status of the CHL and follow the MOU and permits status. I have copies of the MOU and permits that Coalinga maintains. There is a move to take the live HLs out of the Derby status and make it a project where people build remote controlled racers that look like HLs. That is still in the development stages. Lester G. Milroy III

So if I interact with Coronatum using a Camera to take pictures I get fined. But if I interact with them using a bulldozer, a dirtbike or my truck tires I am within the law?

Nice to know our system makes so much sense.
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Cables Home
2 Kings 6:15-17

You can run them over as long as it isn't intentional. I read an article where a man went to prison for a long time for running over a desert tortoise intentionally. It causes big problems to prevent a species from "take" when habitat destruction is the cause of it's demise. I have searched many, many areas of the southwest for HLs. When you get out of fragmented developed areas, what you know, there are always HLs (proper time of day, season and rainfall required). I had about 10 people e-mail last year asking me what they could do to save some coast horned lizards. When I described the tedious procedures and my own personal negative experiences they all got discouraged and not one HL was saved, legally at least.