I was sitting at my hobby desk at about 10:00 p.m. the other night when I heard a noise on the floor to my left. I couldn't believe it when I looked down and saw one of those velociraptor lizards a few inches away from my foot.
He seemed calm and unafraid as he turned his head from side to side curiously checking out the surroundings.
I sat there motionless and similarly, though not as calmly, started assessing the situation. The lizard was of good size . . . maybe at least a good 6 inches from tip of nose to end of tail. He had sharp claws and weird toes. The pattern on his body was strangely more snake-like than lizard-y to me. How in the world was I gonna catch him? Touching him was out of the question.
I s-l-o-w-l-y got out of my chair, backpedaled out of the room and went looking for the men of the house. Both were already snoring. Crap.
I returned to the room. Lizard hadn't moved.
After a couple of failed attempts to catch it, once with a garbage bag and then another time with a box and broom, I quit trying. I had only succeeded in forcing him into hiding. I turned out the light and went to bed.
Knowing that there was a velociraptor in the house caused me to have a fitful night's sleep. I wondered if he was nocturnal and was roaming around the house. I wondered if he liked being next to a warm body. I wondered if I might step on him walking to the bathroom.
First thing in the morning I went into the craft room and checked it out. Nope, nowhere in sight.
Still feeling uneasy, I went into the kitchen and started my usual morning routine. Kona went and stood in front of the sliding door as usual letting me know that he needed to go out. I unlocked and slid the door open for him, and when he came back in I slid the door shut.
After making my coffee, feeding Kona and packing my lunch, I glanced toward the sliding door. Guess who was in front of it looking out. Lizard! For real! I kid you not!
I gingerly tiptoed my way to the door, trying not to startle Lizard, and slid the door open. It took a little coaxing. I shoo shoo'd with my hands and said, "Go. Go. You're free!!" He ran out.
I went to get my camera, and when I returned Lizard was still lingering right outside of the door. Only when Kona bolted out did he scamper up onto the fence.
Looking through the lens of my camera, I saw him look at me. I said, "Bye . . . have a good life . . . and don't ever come back!" And then off he ran.
16 comments:
Nice anole!
He WAS quite a handsome specimen, Cloudia.
I have to periodically rescue the anoles from my cats. When I grab them, they clamp down on my fingers (kinda funny, since they don't have teeth), and then I take them and put them up on a bush for safety!
Speaking of lizards. I came home from work last night, went to my desk to go on my computer. I'm snacking, a lizard open pop up by the side of my terminal. So cute, it was about a inch. If it was a cockroach, I would have freaked out. SO grotesque.
oooh, those are fearless. sometimes when i weed, they would come right up to me and snatch away bugs that i uncover.
when i have a lizard in the house, i use a clear plastic cup (like a starbucks iced drink cup) and hover right over them and BAM1 bring in down on them. then, i get a stiff piece of paper, slide it under the cup to capture the buggah. from there i can lift the cup with the paper pressed on the bottom opening and toss it out the door.
i don't like those because i think they ate up all the nice anoles that i used to call chameleons that would change color from green to brown. so now we have those, and also the cute cute bright green ones with red spots on their back.
unfortunately, we still have plenty mosquitos, flies, and bugs.
eek!
Nice shot of Lizard with his mouth open! It seems he's saying "I'll be baaaack!" You better sleep with one eye open.
~e
whoa that guy looks big! And those feet look scaaaary!
OMG, Lorna, even if I had the courage to grab one, I'd probably fling it if it tried to bite me.
Hahahahaha, Chet, same thing like one of my coworkers . . . she's deathly afraid of big roaches, but would pick up a lizard no problem.
Aunty, they ARE so fearless yah!! Dunno if I coulda done the plastic cup. I used the HUGE garbage bag and even that wasn't big enough for me.
Totally, Kat!!
LOL, E!!!
I knoooow Les . . . those feet!!
I don't think those are native to Hawaii. I've never seen one in the wild. I bet somebody's pet got out.
LOVE this!!! ~matsu
OMG!!! JURASSIC PARK ! Why does everyone seem so calm about it .... ??? OMG OMG !!
j: love my lizards...I was sad when after I termite tented they were many lying dead. However today I saw a baby one in my car..I hope he doesn't die from the heat. I love to see if I can catch 'em and hold 'em in my hand. Unfortunately the other poster is right..the anaole are very aggressive and eat the more nicer and gentler lizards until only they are left. Food chain and all that. I love love the Gold Dust lizards (even if they're illegal and an invasive species) but again the anaole eat 'em. One time there was a large Jacksons walking across the fence and I managed to shoo him into my yard and I took pixs of it. I never saw him again...assume he was someone's pet that got loose. Jacksons are so adorable but so high maintenance. -N
We don't have those here, I think. I wouldn't be able to sleep until it was out of the house. Looks scary to me!
You're probably right, Mark.
Thanks, Matsu.
LOL, Dd.
OMG, N . . . I wouldn't be able to drive if there was one in my car!
Susan, our yard is full of them.
Those guys are jumping all over the place over here. It doesn't even startle me anymore because there are so many. We must have a lot of bugs.
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