Lizard By the Bye

Our temporary pet lizard.

This baby lizard didn't stay with us long enough to earn a name, but some names we considered were "Slimey", "Torterra", and "Chaunce". We caught the lizard on what we affectionately call "Lizard Highway"; a stretch of sidewalk that serves as sunning beds for scores of these lizards. I'm no herpetologist, but based on what I know of lizards, the one we caught is propably an "l.v." That's herpo talk for lacerta vivipara. (Actually, I just made up the abbreviation.)

We had the little guy for about three days and it didn't eat any of the insect we fed it; a moth and a cranefly. Chances are they were too big for it's mouth and it inherently knew not to bother.

Anyway, we let it go because I have an unwritten rule about not keeping pets if I can't give it a life that's close to the quality it would have if it weren't in captivity. (Keep in mind that the above-pictured hands are Zach's. That gives you an idea of how small the lizard was.)