Horny, but to a point.

That’s why Joe Spear, creator of the horned frog sculpture that will be installed March 27, dulled the horns of his sculpture that will rest between Scharbauer and Reed halls, Ann Louden said.

Chancellor Victor Boschini approved of the statue but worried that the sharp edges and points on the sculpture could present a liability issue for TCU, Louden, chancellor’s associate for external partnerships, said.

Spear’s original “horny toad” sat outside the Jane Sauer Gallery in Sante Fe, Calif., Jorden Nye, a gallery manager, said. Louden took responsibility for the acquisition and modification of the frog.

And despite the attention the spiky statue attracted, it had yet to injure anyone, Nye said.

“The horny toad is enormously popular,” he said.

A number of TCU fans asked Nye for information about the origin and design of the sculpture.

John Lumpkin, director of the Schieffer School of Journalism, numbered among the more interested viewers of the piece and sent a picture of it to Boschini.

To design the sculpture, Spear studied and handled different horned toads from different regions of the Southwest.

Spear’s familiarity with the several types of toads influenced the shape of his final work.

“Especially the Texas one,” he said. Texas horned toads had dominant horned features, which make them dynamic models, Spear said.

Although Lumpkin’s photo led to the statue’s acquisition, all students will have a chance to help name the statue, Louden said.

The tentative date for students to submit potential names on tcu360.com is April 1. The winner of the contest will have his or her name and the frog’s new name engraved on the base of the sculpture.