Horny toads. They were everywhere when I was a kid, we called 'em dragon babies.They secreted some substance from their eyes that looked like blood, which freaked girls out, so right there was guaranteed entertainment value, put one in your sisters jewelery box and wait for the scream.
I dont know when I last saw one. Its not down to global warming or development, as they like hot weather and theres still plenty of empty remote areas of the SW. Whatever happened to those horny toads.
Also old-fashioned storm cellars, just a dugout in the bottom of the yard with two doors and a ladder or steps. They were dark, scary holes (and usually home to centipededs, scorpions and horny toads) so I guess thats why they fell out of fashion, but in tornado country, where else do you go, If you go in the basement, your liable to have the house fall in on you if you get hit, yet about the only place I see those storm cellars is on older properties. I recall when we lived in base housing, each neighborhood had a concrete bunker to go to and ours had battery powered lights in it and no bugs.