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What the Heck is a Horned Frog?:
- The scientific name for this Texas reptile is phrynosoma cornutus; in Greek, phrynos means "a toad" and
soma means "body" – in Latin, cornutus means "horned."
- Their primary diet is 80-to-100 red harvester ants per day.
- The typical Horned Frog is three-to-five inches long.
- Horned Frogs are cold-blooded animals that have an unusual pineal gland, resembling a “third eye” on the top of their head, which
zoologist believe is part of their regulation system.
- When angered or frightened, Horned Frogs can squirt a fine, four-foot-streem of blood from their eyes.
- The Horned Frogs was named the State Reptile of Texas in 1992.
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Traditions:
Traditions run deep at TCU, and it begins with the Horned Frogs. Some say that Horned Frogs was chosen because the football practice
field was overrun with the small, spiny lizards. Others say its feisty attitude simply matched the tough frontier spirit shown by TCU
itself. Either way, every student-athlete that dons the Purple and White is proud to be called a Horned Frog.
The Horned Frog has been TCU’s mascot longer than TCU has been the University’s name. Four students helped make the decision in
1897 when AddRan Christian College (renamed TCU in 1902) was located in Waco. For over 100 years, the Horned Frog has been the
calling sign of those that wander the TCU campus.
The Horned Frogs is so popular around the country that ESPN once named it the nation’s number-one mascot
Other traditions at TCU include the school’s colors of Purple and White. The former represents royalty, the latter a clean game.
Swaying while singing the alma mater is a must as is learning how to do the Horned Frog hand sign. (Make a peace sign; fold those
two fingers and you have it!).
Every student needs a little help sometimes so when a big test is coming up, they walk straight to the center of campus to rub the
nose of the Horned Frog sculpture for luck. New students may not have any idea what Riff Ram Bah Zoo means now, but they’ll quickly
discover that it’s one of the oldest and proudest cheers in the country
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