What Is the Mystery Building Downtown at the Corner of 6th and Stewart?

What is that large mystery building downtown at the corner of 6th and Stewart? It's half a city block long and three of its four exterior walls are very nondescript (sand colored). The entire south-facing wall, however, depicts a giant lizard squirting a red liquid from its eyes. What the heck are they doing in there?

First, the reptile.

It's not something out of Hunter S. Thompson's drug- and alcohol-addled imagination during a Sin City bender. Instead, it's actually the North American horned lizard, also known as a horny toad or Horn. The red liquid is, in fact, the creature's own blood, which can be aimed at a predator up to five feet away as a defense mechanism. At least eight of the 21 species of horned lizard have this unique ability. And yes, they're native to Nevada.

As to what's going on inside the building, it's nothing quite so exciting.

This structure, officially located at 301 N. 6th Street, contains six large boilers that control the heating and cooling systems for the El Cortez and Cabana Suites buildings. (The horned lizard itself has no heating or cooling system, being cold-blooded and all).

Here's the building (and thanks to Canada Roy for the photo).

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Comments

Bob Jan-30-2023

Pretty Cool

as a So Cal Kid in the 60's, with Parents that spent many weekends in Vegas or Palm Springs. I had Quite a few Horny Toads as pets! and one pretty cool Tortoise that I think was already part of the family before I came along, as I had older siblings. that Old Tortoise is probably still wandering around somewhere in Fullerton

Kevin C Jan-30-2023

Still not sure I understand WHY but...

So THAT'S what Yosemite Sam was going on about when he'd shout "Great Horny Toads!"

Jerome Sinkovec Jan-30-2023

Yosemite Sam...

If Yosemite Sam walked around the corner of that building and suddenly was confronted by that huge rendition of the creature, it would be logical for him to cry out "Great Horny Toads!"

Randall Ward Jan-30-2023

horny toads

in Oklahoma they're rare and endangered now, it's sad that an animal that used to be everywhere has almost disappeared in my lifetime

[email protected] Jan-30-2023

TCU Horned Frogs

You might want to forward this photo to TCU in Fort Worth. I'm sure  all their students and alumni would want to take a photo in front of this on their visits to Las Vegas!

VegasROX Jan-30-2023

Randall OK

We used to live in Lawton OK back in the mid 60s. Watched a Horny Toad get run over by a military tank on Ft Sill, on a dirt tank trail. Figuring he was a goner, once the tank was gone, went over and, to my delight, the thing reinflated himself, shook his head a few seconds and took off running across the dirt field. One of the few things I remember from my much younger years in Oklahoma.

Question of the Day - 30 January 2023

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