Category Archives: Critters

Proof of life – as in, “You call this living?”

To quote Maverick, “Too close for missiles, switching to guns”

I went out to get the mail and spooked the teeny tiniest little lizard that I’ve ever seen.

See him out there? Off on the corner?

Maybe an inch for the body and an inch for the tail. Maybe.

He was already out there doing push ups, a territorial show of dominance. I admire that sort of attitude from someone who’s two days old and two inches long!

From 2006, on the power line in the backyard of the old Pomelo house.

“All God’s creatures…,” blah, blah, blah, I get it. WRONG! These critters are butt ugly. And that mouth is FULL of a whole bunch of needle-sharp teeth. Nasty.

I know that because there was an infamous incident where Jesse, our dog, was going berserk in the back yard one night and we went out in the pouring rain and mud to find her howling and wailing at this one or its twin with a half-dozen or so babies clinging to its back. Jesse had it cornered, about knee high on a tree trunk and that mama opossum was way out of her weight class but (of course!) was going to die defending those babies and all of those teeth were on full display. I got to reach in to grab Jesse’s collar and pull her back in the dark, rain, and mud with the insane, stupid dog going nuts six inches from that muzzle full of teeth. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

We haven’t seen one of these up here on top of the hill, but there are a ton of trees and we’re only a mile away from the old house, and there are a couple of open wildlife areas within a mile or five, so I have no doubt that they’re around. If they keep to their own quiet, private places and away from me, I’m more than happy to just let them be.

Ugh!!

I’ll see these guys flying about the yard every now and then. There are some wetlands down at the bottom of the hill near where Bell Canyon Creek starts, as well as the Chatsworth Reservoir area about three miles north of us.

But I don’t recall ever having one land or sit still so that I could take pictures of it.

Growing up in Vermont, Illinois, and Kansas I had seen dragonflies plenty of times, but out here in the desert they’re a bit more scarce. So a good luck sighting!

As August ends, I found this little stump-tailed cutie sitting out where the trash bins go.

I’m amazed that I got pictures – it was acting extremely oddly. Specifically, it never moved or made any attempt to run away. I came around the corner behind me, dragging two trash barrels and opening the gate, so normally it would have been halfway across the yard or at least into the vines in a heartbeat. They’re skittish! (It keeps them from being eaten.)

But this dude apparently sat there through all of that, then sat there while I grabbed the first barrel and took three or four steps toward it. When I saw it finally I froze, carefully pulling out my phone. Through all of this it never moved.

I set down the first barrel, then walked behind it another couple of steps so that I was behind it. From the front I could see the beautiful markings on its back and those long toes typical of California fence lizards.

From the back, it was obvious that it was missing a big chunk of its tail. You can see where the stump is starting to grow the rest of the tail back. But even with me walking around, taking pictures, dropping off trash barrels, and so on, it never twitched. I was starting to wonder if it might be hurt, or even dead.

I went back out to the front yard to grab the second trash barrel and it was gone when I got back, so not dead. I also saw it later in the day (the tail makes the ID easy) running along the base of the fence in the dirt and debris from the vines, so it didn’t look very hurt either.

I hope if it needs some of that Neosporin for its tail it will ask. I’ve got plenty!

I was out in the back yard this afternoon with my camera, mid 90’s, sunny, and I knew there HAD to be a lizard hiding somewhere.

Sure enough, there it was.

There were a couple of teeny, tiny “popcorn” lizards also, and one good sized one who was missing its tail, but this was the big one for the afternoon.

Frozen in place while I took a handful of pictures, and then the second I turned away it was GONE! Good thing they’re friendly, it really moves fast when it wants to, off into the bushes. I see folks catching these guys, but I don’t see how.

And a good thing, too.

Yesterday I demonstrated that when walking face first into a full body orb weaver web across the sidewalk in the dark, I can generate enough G-forces while flailing hysterically to set off the “You’ve Fallen Again ™” alarm on my Apple Watch. I said that I would try to remember to grab a flashlight on the way out the door in the future.

Same place as last time.

Beautiful craftsmanship, and not the biggest orb weaver I’ve ever seen, but not the smallest either.

I think I’ll name it Gandalf.

IYKYK.