Pet Lizards and critters
I had no idea that lizards could be pets, let alone have a personality. While living in southern Fl. we lived in a two story house that had a small front porch and a large deck out back. Of course, living in the tropics, the place was crawling with critters, especially lizards. On the front porch we had this one lizard that was very territorial with other lizards and then we got to watching the lizards on the large deck also. They too, were very territorial and they all seemed to stay in their own areas. We got to where we could recognize them and this one guy on the front porch was totally not scared of us one twit. During the heat of the summer, and it can get hot down on that island, he got to where he would position himself near the door and when we opened it, he would rush in and jump into my big umbrella tree and enjoy the air conditioning. This got to be a big game with him and we would just let him stay and he would go out in the morning. Then while sitting on the couch right next to the sliding doors of the deck, we started watching the tree frogs and in the evening when they could come out from the heat, they would jump onto the glass doors and look in. We had to be careful, cause if we opened them, they, too, would rush in for the same tree. This went on for the whole year we were down there.
Now, I know you think, wow, this gal has way too much time on her hands.
Then we moved to the other side of the US on another island and here we go again.
We had a group, herd, or whatever you call 6 or 8 lizards and geckos, hanging out by our front door. I was the only one they wouldn't run from and they would just sit there and watch whatever I happened to be doing. Well, I am a nightowl and always have been, and would sit up late at night and watch tv. This one little guy got really brave and started crawling underneath the screen door and walk right into the house. I would be sitting on the couch and he would look over and promptly walk in and go behind the couch, most likely looking for a snack, and stay for a bit. Then he would walk out and sit in the middle or the floor and stare at me until I would get up and let him out. This went on for the two years we lived there.
I know, I know, you think I have been drinking too many mai tais, but I swear, this is all true.
Now, I know you think, wow, this gal has way too much time on her hands.
Then we moved to the other side of the US on another island and here we go again.
We had a group, herd, or whatever you call 6 or 8 lizards and geckos, hanging out by our front door. I was the only one they wouldn't run from and they would just sit there and watch whatever I happened to be doing. Well, I am a nightowl and always have been, and would sit up late at night and watch tv. This one little guy got really brave and started crawling underneath the screen door and walk right into the house. I would be sitting on the couch and he would look over and promptly walk in and go behind the couch, most likely looking for a snack, and stay for a bit. Then he would walk out and sit in the middle or the floor and stare at me until I would get up and let him out. This went on for the two years we lived there.
I know, I know, you think I have been drinking too many mai tais, but I swear, this is all true.
posted by the golden horse at 10:32 PM
4 Comments:
In Viet Nam, we had a mirror with a bare light bulb over it in our living room.
Some little lizard...chameleon?.... lived behind the mirror. Of course bugs were attracted to the light when we turned it on at night.
AFVN TV played reruns of Star Trek, etc., but the lizard was FAR more entertaining!
And he wasn't much afraid of us either!
I totally understand your interest in the lizards, these critters were the funniest things. I had no idea they even had much of a brain, but they got to recongize me.
My cat loves them too! Most of them end up with very short tails, though.
Rocky has a race-rack like toy,, the kind that lets him bat a ball round and round. WELL, (and this is sick, but cats ARE very sick in many ways) I found him with a lizard in the race-rack; he was trying to push it around the track. The lizard was quite dead though and didn't have legs. Dead lizards don't move very fast, it seems
He once put one in the toe of my tennis shoe the day before I went away to Reserve camp for two weeks. My shoes felt lumpy but I thought I just had a wrinkle in my sock. Later that day, I started to smell something very BAD!! It took me a while to figure out why the smell kept following me around!
Even after I washed those shoes several times, soaked them in bleach and let them sit in the sun for a couple of days, they still smelled like dead lizard. I lost a lot of friends that drill.
Funny thing, though. I hadn't worn those shoes for several years but put them in my bag to Baghdad. (no use taking a good pair) It only took one day for me to realize Eau De Lizard was still there.
Somewhere in Iraq, someone is wearing some very smelly shoes.
Purple tabby,
That is the funniest story I have heard about lizards. I can just imagine it all. Heck, over there it might be an improvement on the odors. I remember when we lived in Ca. our cat would find these huge black lizards and chew their tails off, yuck. Then they would grow back.
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