Lizards!

Hello Everyone!

My family just got back from my Grandparent’s house in California. Jasper and I spent a lot of time catching lizards there, and had a lot of fun. We used a noose that we fashioned out of a piece of string tied to an old metal coat hanger. The hardest part is sneaking up behind the lizard, because if you make one false move, the lizard runs away. The trick is to move very slowly towards the lizard, then carefully slip the noose over its head. Very gently pull upwards, and you have your lizard. Make sure you waste no time in removing the noose to avoid injuring the lizard. Once the noose is off, you can put the lizard in a cage or release it. Jasper and I caught a lot of lizards, but only ended up keeping four. We chose two small males and two small females. These lizards can easily be sexed, because females are far darker in color than males and are almost gray, while males are a very light brown, usually with yellow markings. After much research, we discovered that they were Western Fence Lizards, and can be easily converted to captivity. Well, I’m sure you can guess what we decided to do then. Yep, we took them home. I have no idea why we were able to get them through airport security without so much as a suspicious look from the guards. Are they used to people bringing lizards on the plane? The lizards endured the flight surprisingly well without showing any signs of stress. After a quick trip to the pet store, we began to set up their terrarium. It is ten gallons and features both a full-spectrum light (because they get most of their vitamins from the sun) and a basking lamp because a full-spectrum light isn’t hot enough for them. It also features a large rock placed under the basking light, a flowerpot for them to hide in, some sticks, a live cactus (to mimic California), and a water dish. We feed them live crickets daily, and they’ll already eat from my hand! They’re very active and are definitely adjusting well to their new environment. I highly recommend keeping these lizards if you have the time and resources. It is very rewarding!

The Habitat