Hi, Mr. Nature here–with a nice lizard that’s not really anywhere near as big as the camera makes it look.
This is the chuckwalla, of the American Southwest. It lives in the desert and defends itself by scrunching in between rocks and inflating itself, making it very, very hard to get him out. It’s a member of the iguana family, and a vegetarian. There are several species with assorted colors and markings; and like many iguanids, the chuckwalla can change its colors a little bit, depending on the temperature and his mood.
I remember these critters from the Mark Trail Sunday color comics in the paper. You could really learn a lot from that comic strip.
I expect a chuckwalla would make a very pleasing reptile pet, provided you were careful to keep him warm and dry enough. Desert lizards, alas, can be tricky to keep healthy. So it’s probably better to stick with more adaptable animals.
I see those frequently. They love to do push-ups. You will see a lizard scurry to a spot, somewhere, and start doing push-ups when they are in a conspicuous spot. I’ve heard that this is to assert their strength and dominance and hopefully attract mates.
Believing, as I do, that nature is intended to teach us, I have adopted this behavior myself, but it usually just gets me tossed out of fancy restaurants. 🙂
The push-ups are an iguana family threat display. Dozens of kinds of lizards do them.
It’s cool to watch.
What little cuties! 🙂 Mr. Nature always has such interesting treats for us,
Just thought maybe Mr. Nature would like to take a look at this – dinosaur days? Interesting . . .
Chuckwalla – cool name. Most all my closest family members now live in Havisu City, Arizona. I may be visiting them again in late Autumn so maybe I can search the neighboring rocks for one of these neat creatures of God.
BTW, you haven’t said if you liked “The Palace.”
I wish desert lizards were easier to keep. Some of them are very nice lizards, but it’s just so hard to meet their requirements.
I’ve been busy with painting our kitchen, then hanging up new blinds (no fun). I am now free to write my review on Amazon.com. I liked the build up to King Ryons army finally going on the march.
Well, it took them long enough.
I posted my review of “The Palace” today (the 4th to do so), and then I ordered “The Glass Bridge” the Kindle edition. The paperback was selling for $5,177.84. A used edition was selling for $1,675.27. Who knew your books were so valuable!
I have pleaded with them to correct that, to no avail.
Now I’m gonna go look at your review!
Not there yet.
Ah! Finally found it. Thanks so much, I’m glad you liked it, Dave.
And there is a glass bridge in “The Glass Bridge.”
Imagine! That’s without an autograph by the author! What would we expect to pay then?
P.S.–My favorite part is Wytt going around the stables and the palace and noticing very strange behavior among the flies and spiders.