All right, so originally I did say this would be a three-part series about the Sonoran Desert, but I decided to make one all about lizards. So, lizard lovers, read this blog article!
In the last blog article, I made a guessing game. To answer the question on how many lizards are there in the picture (don’t look at the photo until you’ve guessed)…
There are seven!
This photo is from an area just before you go into the Sonoran Desert Museum. It has a round walling and is a great place to find non-wild lizards. The quick as lightning whiptail, the ones that looked like Western Fence Lizards, the Horned Toads and the big lizards ran around and sunned on the huge rocks. And they went through the grass and one of the most exciting things was when they put a whole bunch of crickets in there. The Whiptails munched. The ones that looked like Western Fence Lizards crunched. And all that was left was one hobbling cricket, but it was gobbled away by a big lizard and they all lived happily ever after.
The lizards of course.
Lizards, I just want to hug. For a great many years I have loved and adored these creatures.
I was walking and Mommy was talking and she let me borrow her camera. I saw a beautiful boo sitting on the sidewalk. I stopped right where I was, even though it was a little distant and took a picture. I always want to be careful to get a safety shot in case the lizard runs away when I take a step closer. Then I took another step and took another picture. Step, picture, step, picture, until I got to the point where I could take this photograph.
This is a Western Fence Lizard. They eat flies and caterpillars. I want to go on a rant about how cute they are. And with some of the protein in its blood, it helps fend off Lyme disease. Here’s how it works: A disease carrying tick feeds off this lizard (poor lizard), but its blood kills off the bacteria, so it is no longer a disease carrying tick, but still just a regular everyday tick. Aren’t the lizards great?
And this is the Clark’s Spiny Lizard…
To the birds of prey’s eyes it looks like a tree, but to the up close eyes, it looks like a lizard to me. Do you think you’d spot it from a hundred feet away?
See ya next time, if I can spotcha!
These are wonderful descriptions and photos of lizards. I don’t think I’d say I love
lizards, but I do like them and find them very interesting. I enjoyed reading part 3,
soI’m glad you added part 4.
Love, Grandma
I’ll tell you that my appreciation of lizards has increased tremendously. Camille adores them so!