The lizards that live in my backyard
April 4th, 2006 at 09:08am
My backyard is a place which some small gecko lizards have decided to call home. They were first spotted about a year ago, at which time there were probably two or three, and have since multiplied. Baby lizards have been spotted a couple times, but overall the lizards like to live in the nice leafy and plant covered sections of the backyard (which is most of it). I have been waiting for a good photo opportunity for a while, and was very pleased to get one on Sunday afternoon, when one of the lizards spent a bit of time on the garden path.
Nattie is, for the most part, at peace with the lizards, although she does occasionally try to chase one, but they manage to scurry off under the vegetation before the “big furry monster” gets to them. Nattie probably looks like some kind of big furry monster to the lizards.
Samuel
Entry Filed under: Canberra Stories,General News,Samuel News
4 Comments
1. Chuck A. Spear | April 4th, 2006 at 1:24 pm
Sure it is a gecko? It may be a baby blue tongue.
2. Samuel | April 4th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
These things have never been any bigger than this…one is a tad fatter, but this is about as big as they get, blue tongues are bigger aren’t they?
3. Chuck A. Spear | April 4th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
Yes they are. Have you had a chance to see the colour of their tongues?
4. wonko the sane | April 5th, 2006 at 7:19 pm
A common misconception, my friend Chuck. This is clearly a thrice-toed Canberran hip-snake lizard, a rare species that poses as a stick to fool hapless bushwalkers into picking it up for use as a walking-stick. The camelleon suddenly explodes into life once its tail is grasped, whirling around to bite the hiker painfully in the hip.
While not poisonous, it can cause infection if the flesh is pierces and is best treated with caution, and left alone.
A great honour to have one select your backyard as a temporary home, Sam!