Lizard ID Please

This guy was sunning on my house this afternoon. What kind of lizard is he??

Texas Spiny Lizzard, Sceloporus olivaceus.
http://www.hartmanprehistoricgarden.com/sa-sceloporus.html

Thanks! No wonder I did a double take when I saw him! Wonder where he came from??

they were once native to the area, tending to go endangered I believe

Cool! I hope the guy doesn't freeze during the winter.

Well, I must be doing something right because I have doz. of them around my place. There is a colony of them that live in my garage :)
Steph, I think the hibernate in the winter.

Thanks, Kate! I like to keep the beneficials around. I have seen tons of geckos and anoles, but have never seen this guy previously. I'm glad to welcome him to my garden.

Got those also. I don't see them hunting for the butterflies, so they are good guys I think. They also don't seem to multiply as fast as the geckos do.

Thanks for posting and the ID, I never got the name down.

This message was edited Dec 5, 2011 4:16 PM

WOW Sheila, your lizard is HUGE compared to my little guy. What are you feeding him?? LOL

LOL! That one was out front a year or two ago, no telling how big it is now.

WOW! That is one healthy lizard! Texas Size, for sure!!! haha!

Reminds me of Horny Toads, also close to extinct around TX. Same kind of coloring. I think my dad brought one home (from W. TX?) when we lived in Orange--I was maybe 6 years old. He lived in our garden for a while. I have fond memories of that little horny toad!

We have a little anole that is living in our sunroom. I don't know how she got in but we see her about once a week. I have worried that she won't have the proper nutrition and water inside. Should we try to catch and release of just leave her alone.
I think it is a she because it has never shown the red "whatever" under its mouth. I am not afraid of her but I want her to live.

This environment may not be the best for her.


Christi

Put a plant in the window and I bet it will find plenty to keep it nourished. I know they are very fast and would be difficult to catch. If you see it near the plant then on a mild day crack the window nearby. Then maybe you can close it between the window and screen and make a crack in the screen for it to find a way out.

Thanks, Sheila. We have lots of plants inside this year as they were too big to go into the tool shed. The snow collapsed the little greenhouse and it is no longer viable.

Oh no, so sorry about that. I guess that is where you little friend came from, so I wouldn't worry about him. Sounds like it is time to add on to the shed.

caught her under a glass. very carefully lifted it. put her outside and her tail was still inside just wiggling away. didn't really touch it. I think she must have triggered something and just dropped it herself.

anoles can be brought indoors on the firewood you are going to burn-red under chin is pennyroll? I think it is called-turns red for mating seasons, chuckle-they live on wasps, flys, spiders, like it not too near water cuz of fear they will drown, indoors she would live til spring and disappear likely. they are considered lucky in the desert-a sign of moisture nearby? You moving her in a sluggish state caused it to drop. we just let em stay and hang around the porch...

I bet she hitched a ride on one of your plants you brought in.

We have really enjoyed watching them all summer. Also, have geckos inside and out. Guess we must be doing something right. Would love to have the horned toads that I grew up with. Don't think I have seen one like Stephanie and Sheila have.

I have one other picture somewhere in my unsorted pics that I took when watching a squirrel on a neighbor's tree. The squirrel ran down and back up close to it and it turned it's head which caught my attention. It was really huge and blended in on the pecan bark. I had trouble finding and focusing in on it even after spotting it.

Christi...glad you caught turned him out, the tail will grow back no doubt.

We had lots of these guys around our land in Ben Wheeler in 05 and 06 and in 07 they suddenly vanished!

Or did they?? Look at that great camoflage!!

Am sure they were still around and still are but I am not and therefore I disappeared!

You will disappear for sure in two weeks if you don't sign up for another year!

I saw my little lizard friend this morning sunning on the ledge outside my kitchen window. :)

It's baaackkk!! I hope the neighbor's cat that hangs out in my yard doesn't kill it!

Steph...I hope so too! I have had a stray male cat come up.we live out in the country and he is tame so I am sure someone dumped him....he has sure lessened my lizard population even though he is fed well. He also got one of my eurasian doves that hang around here. He is a sweet kitty but I sure need to find someone to give him to before he wipes out everything on my hill.

I have the same kind of lizard! Sorry I don't know what kind it is. Mine extends his throat skin out and it looks red-orange in color. They are always hunting for insects so I welcome their presence in my garden.

It's a Texas Spiny Lizard and he's good to have around.

Got a couple more of some I have....good camo for sure.

Excellent! I love seeing lizards and anoles, bees and butterflies in my yard. Yesterday I saw a hummingbird moth resting on my pea plants!

My hubby made a bat house and put it on our back fence. Due to neighborhood rules, we can't extend it up past the top of the fence. I don't think any bats have found it but saw a green lizard peeking out at me yesterday while I was gardening! Glad to see something is using it!

That's cute!

Stephanie...your peavine is host for several of the small butterflies! The clearwing hummer moth uses honeysuckle as it's host plant. I found that out right after my neighbor got his under control LOL!

Well my neighbor has PLENTY of honeysuckle for hosting the hummer moth!! I don't know that the BC PV will be able to take over ALL that's on the fenceline.

No way dude! Hubby had, at first, mounted it on a pole that was taller than our regulation 6 ft. fence. We were reported in less than a week to the Nazi, I mean, Neighborhood Assn. :)

Guess my neighbor wouldn't make it there! LOL! FYI, he put these up about four years ago, no bats that I have seen ever around them.
Oh, that is my DH, the yard past him is the place to look.

This message was edited May 3, 2012 9:39 PM