Native American Zuni Lizard Fetish Carving

What is a Fetish?

A fetish is a rock carving of an animal that captures the spirit and the essence of the animal, not necessarily its exact detailed conformation. Although carved from many types of rock, fishrock is traditional. Read more about fetishes.

HORNED LIZARD - This lizard is sometimes mistakenly called a horned toad because of its short tail and squat appearance. (This can be confusing because there is a true toad that also grows horns.) For thousands of years many Native Americans - including Anasazi, Hopi, Zuni, Navajo, Pima - have regarded the horned lizard with reverence and seen it as a symbol of strength and healing. The image of the horned lizard is a common theme in carvings, pottery and other art forms in the American Southwest and in Mexico. Despite its frightening appearance the horned lizard is peaceful and is content to bask in the sun and eat ants and other insects. When threatened it flattens and tries to blend into its surroundings, but if that fails it can inflate its body to make its spines stand out further and as a last resort it can squirt foul tasting blood from its eyes into a predators mouth. It only wants to be left alone.