It's small, it squiggles across the floor, and it makes you jump back.
Wait! Before you do something drastic ! Take a closer look.
That strange creature that has wandered into your kitchen, laundry room or garage could be an important member of the local ecosystem. Don't panic just help it get outside.
This juvenile southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata) was trapped in our garage. It was looking for a quiet safe place, but instead found a food desert. Alligator lizards are important predators in the yard. Let them help you with insects and other garden pests. All you have to do is help them get back outside.
This guy was very docile in-hand.
Watch for yourself: Rescuing an Alligator
Too many ants and other bugs in your yard? Embrace your lizard and amphibian neighbors.
Western fence lizard - Backyard Superhero
CA Amphibians
When you're traveling, discovery comes easily. But wilderness in our own backyards and neighborhoods can offer discovery as well.
I went out this morning looking for something unexpected and two lizards found me.
Lizards in my yard are not unexpected. Western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) have become abundant over the last 10 years. This year we have already seen at least three new babies. The more native California vegetation we have, the more we attract native insects and the greater the resources for the lizards.
Alligator lizards (Elgaria multicarinata) like the one pictured above, have been resident in our yard since we moved in 19 years ago. But I have never seen these two lizard species interact.
Fence lizards are sun lovers, frequently basking out in the open. They communicate with each other visually with displays of head bobbing and revealing their blue chests. The alligator lizards, on the other hand, are shy creatures slipping through the shadows and feeding into the night on warm summer evenings.
This morning I happened upon an adult western fence lizard and a sub-adult alligator lizard. The fence lizard was trying to chase the alligator lizard out of its territory. The alligator lizard (about the girth of a pencil and 7"-8" long) took refuge on a branch in a bush about a foot off the ground. It turned, like its namesake, with an open mouth and hissing. It tried to scare off the fence lizard.
It was a miniature primeval world moment - wild lizards unencumbered by the actions of people. I ran to get the camera, but only got a picture of the
fence lizard. While the fence lizard is primarily an insect eater, a
larger alligator lizard could prey on the two-inch-long western fence lizard
hatchlings.
If you just take a moment to observe, you'll be surprised what you can discover close to home. This August Discover yourself.
(Australian wild lizards, Turkish wild lizards)
Zone 1 always surprises me. Zone Map
If I asked you what wildlife I might find in this small area of the yard, you might say a few ants and a spider or two. In the past this strip of cement walkway, stairs and a narrow planter has revealed numerous species of spiders. Zone 1 in summer 2007.
So far this February the variety of species has been down, probably due to the season. But the winter-blooming berginia is looking lovely, see blooms.
This short retaining wall at the edge of the walkway has an intriguing little cave. At the left side, where there is a triangular opening, a pile of debris is stacking up. Are these the remains of someone’s meals?
It is an interesting collection that the cave’s resident has pushed out its door. There are empty brown garden snail shells; some fragmented by strong jaws. Could the owner of the lair be a southern alligator lizard? A foot-long individual was seen in this area last summer.
But there are also holly-leaf cherry pits that have been gnawed open and the seed inside eaten. Is some kind of native mouse living in this dark dwelling?
Some animal is living in this tiny cave and if you are snail, you might just consider it a dragon.
Happy Independence Day ! It's 100˚F in the shade, but still cooler than yesterday. While I'm happier in the house, the Western fence lizards and the alligator lizards are frolicking.
To celebrate the 4th of July, my husband Michael Lawshe (soundzgood.info) researched historical documents and eyewitness-accounts and prompted me to write an audio-play. We gathered some friends and neighbors and reenacted some of the historical events leading up to 1776. We call our LIVE CAST recording "Prelude to Revolution." (1 hour in length)CLICK HERE to link to Eclipse-1.com and hear the voices and events on the road to American Independence. (Yes, we did really reenact the New York Riots and the Boston Massacre in our living room.) Why is my personal Liberty important to the lizards in my backyard? It means with my voice and my vote, I can support conservation issues and environmental protection.
As more and more of the world is degraded by human activity, it becomes increasingly vital that we stand up and speak out to preserve our democracy. If we do not, if our government is owned by the highest bidder, we will not have the ability to stop those who would threaten the entire planet for temporary profit.
