Can You Identify This Lizard?

AVG-JOE

American Mutt
Gold Supporting Member
Mar 23, 2008
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Anybody know what kind of critter this is?

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He has taken up residence in my yard...

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He is about 15 inches long and I think he is growing.

Ass-U-Me-ing he is indeed a he.
 
Cat food.
You may have a point there. Our indoor cat came across a mouse on the kitchen floor two nights ago. She MOANED with pleasure. I told her she was a good, good cat and I would back her up in any decision. I don't think that decision was a real problem for her, no ---- After watching the airborne mouse for awhile, I went in the living room and shut all the doors so I wouldn't hear anymore leaping about. She left the mouse as her contribution to breakfast. I felt that was a nice thought.
 
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You may have a point there. Our indoor cat came across a mouse on the kitchen floor two nights ago. She MOANED with pleasure. I told her she was a good, good cat and I would back her up in any decision. I don't think that decision was a real problem for her, no ---- After watching the airborne mouse for awhile, I went in the living room and shut all the doors so I wouldn't hear anymore leaping about. She left the mouse as her contribution to breakfast. I thought that was a nice thought.
Perhaps because of the markings on the creature's head that makes it look like it has faux eyeballs, your cat may be a bit confused and not "moaning with pleasure", but rather your cat is appealing for a second opinion regarding this very concerning matter.

Maybe your cat doesn't know what to think and wants your permission before it pounces on the thing, hence the questioning moan.

It's a cat's way of asking you if it's allowed to kill that critter.
 
Perhaps because of the markings on the creature's head that makes it look like it has faux eyeballs, your cat may be a bit confused and not "moaning with pleasure", but rather your cat is appealing for a second opinion regarding this very concerning matter.

Maybe your cat doesn't know what to think and wants your permission before it pounces on the thing, hence the questioning moan.

It's a cat's way of asking you if it's allowed to kill that critter.
Yes, that's exactly what I thought, really: she doesn't get a lot of chances at mice, and treasures each one. For that reason I came into the kitchen, weighed up the situation (mouse was in big trouble was the situation) and praised her effusively. She stopped the strange meows and got down to business. Good points you made!
 
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As for lizard, I'd say that was small for an iguana, but --- they have baby ones, too, like everything, right?

They get to be really large ----------

If not quite as big as Godzilla.
 
Its shedding its skin so it makes it hard to ID. But it looks light brown with yellow stripes I will try and look it up. Yes, the description in my book does fit it. A type of Gecko. Some make chirping noises others bark. But it says Geckos only get 6 inches long. You say its 15 inches so that throws it off. Geckos do not need a mate to reproduce.
 
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Anybody know what kind of critter this is? He has taken up residence in my yard...

Pretty sure that is not an iguana, Joe. Assuming you live in the southwest, my best guess is that he is a member of the Crotaphytidae family, usually called Collared Lizards, though not all have collars and one of them is native to parts of California.

I'd say he was probably not a pet, if you observe him as very fast moving, a real streaker when running away or catching stuff, that supports the guess. Probably lives on bugs. Most lizards like iguana live far longer if just left alone in the wild because most pet owners really don't know how to take care of them.

Apparently your yard has just what he needs. :smile:
 
Sorry, no. Definitely NOT a gecko as the color is all wrong and Joe's lizard has eyelids. Geckos have none, they don't blink.
This is a collared lizard it has a collar. Joe's lizard does not.
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