Horned Lizards Can Shoot Blood Out of Their Eyes

Ever wished you could shoot lasers from your eyes? Horned lizards settled for the next best thing: blood. Also known as horny toads, these quirky little reptiles have one of the animal kingdom’s strangest defense mechanisms. When threatened, they can squirt blood from their eye sockets — a foul-tasting concoction infused with chemicals from their ant-heavy diet that’s enough to make predators think twice.

The lizards pull off this bizarre trick by restricting blood from leaving their heads, which raises blood pressure until tiny blood vessels around their eyes burst. The resulting stream of blood can travel up to five feet and is especially effective at deterring canine predators like coyotes, foxes, and even curious dogs.