HemiDemiSemiGodzilla

Back at the driveway…

This is the “driveway big guy.” (For those who have lost track, there’s a “big guy” by the driveway, one over by the front door, a clutch of new hatchlings in the bushes between the driveway and the front door, and a clutch of new hatchlings by the mailbox. I think. And then there are the backyard lizards, including those in the north, those in the south, and those in the trees.)

I’m told they’re territorial – not sure if they’ll kill each other for territory, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they did.

Given the location (this is right by where the bushes are that lead off to the front door to the right, the place where the first new clutch of baby lizards showed up) this might be a parent of that clutch.

Either way, this seems to be a prime spot. If it’s cool, this big guy is out in the sun, with shelter under the car just inches away and the bushes just a couple of feet more. If it’s really hot, he can retreat to the edge of the shade, still catch plenty of heat from the whole driveway heating up, but not get fried by the direct rays.

He’s pretty calm so long as I don’t spook him, will let me get within a couple of feet. Blow up the picture to full sized (click on it), look at the gorgeous blue & green scales mixed in with all of the brown and tan scales, particularly on his tail.

I don’t know how big this guy or his kin can get, although we obviously know that some species in the area can get MUCH bigger. Being Godzilla kin but much smaller, I think this guy is more of a Hemidemisemigodzilla. But as long as he watches out for hawks and doesn’t sit under that tire for shelter when I have to use the car (I check before I pull out, but still…) he might make Demisemigodzilla in a year or two!