Lizard Life

How've ya been, lady? Have ya seen ladybugs lately?

Unseasonably warm, sunny days during the winter months revive lizards that live with us. When the western sun bakes the brick on the front of the house, they yawn, stretch, and venture out from beneath their bedding for a tanning session. I was delighted to see him yesterday!

A Ground Skink made an appearance in the garage a few weeks ago. It couldn't have been more than two and a half inches long.

I spent most of my life as a city girl up north and never saw lizards in the wild until I visited my daughter at the University of NC at Wilmington eight years ago. Since then, and moving to Charlotte a couple of years ago, I can’t keep my eyes off them.

Skinks and Eastern Fence Lizards spend their days on the south and west side of the house. Oodles of them. Harmless little reptiles that gobble up the bugs. If one of them mistakenly sped up my pants leg, I might feel differently about them.

Here are a few photos I’ve taken since last spring. It’s a pleasure to photograph lizards because they pose for minutes at a time for easy photo shoots, unlike the birds and dogs. My IDs might be incorrect but I’m giving it a try. (Click to enlarge the photos. See the gleam in their eyes.)

Eastern Fence Lizard, male. The most common type here.

Five-lined Skink. Small and plentiful. Love that bright blue tail.

A male Eastern Fence Lizard, raising himself to show his blue metallic underside. He's very cooperative for the camera.

I remember taking this photo. Flat on my driveway, nose-to-nose with him. Was he smiling at me? I had just given him a drink of water. It was probably 103 degrees in July.

Might be a Southeastern Five-lined Skink, one of the largest lizards here at about eight inches in length.

She's rough looking! The female Eastern Fence lizard, grey in color as opposed to the brown male.

She's looks marvelous here. It's one of my favorite photos.

Here's a sweet memory of warm breezes by the pond. Ahhh. Spring. It’s coming.