Lizard

[4pygmies]

I found this golden little fellow when I lifted up the old crates this morning...he strutted off, quite casually.....then when OH and smallest came back from their bike ride we found him again so OH picked him up so I could take a picture:




Lovely little feller isn't he? Anyone know anything about him please? (Apart from the fact his name is Lenny and he likes my garden...)

[4pygmies]

Or is it a newt?? It didn't have the tail shape of a newt though, it was slim and tapered and not flattened like a newt.... I've been googling and I can't find anything like it......he was much more golden than the picture shows and is obviously a baby...I can't find anything similar on google at all...

[madonplants]

Jul 13, 2008 16:19:21 GMT 1 @4pygmies said:

I found this golden little fellow when I lifted up the old crates this morning...he strutted off, quite casually.....then when OH and smallest came back from their bike ride we found him again so OH picked him up so I could take a picture:




Lovely little feller isn't he? Anyone know anything about him please? (Apart from the fact his name is Lenny and he likes my garden...)

I am 99.9% sure, it's a Common Lizard, I used to see a few over Headley Heath when I was a boy. Not seen one that small before though, all the ones I saw were adults! You lucky thing, you!!

[4pygmies]

Cheers, dear! I googled for pictures of baby lizards cos the adult common lizards weren't the right colour at all but didn't have a lot of luck. Do they change colour as they mature then, do you know Keith?

I am rather thrilled about seeing this chap actually.....I've always gardened with wildlife right at the top of my priorities but, although I have a lot of birds and other creatures, I've never seen anything like this before.....it feels pretty good to know I might have lizards in the garden!

[bogmyrtle]

He is so cute - fantastic to find him in the garden. Well done for providing the habitat for him and all the other wildlife.

[debbiem]

If you've got one, surely there's a few more around - brilliant!

[madonplants]

Jul 14, 2008 9:03:21 GMT 1 @The witch said:

Jul 13, 2008 16:19:21 GMT 1 @4pygmies said:

I found this golden little fellow when I lifted up the old crates this morning...he strutted off, quite casually.....then when OH and smallest came back from their bike ride we found him again so OH picked him up so I could take a picture:




Lovely little feller isn't he? Anyone know anything about him please? (Apart from the fact his name is Lenny and he likes my garden...)

I wonder if it's a sand lizard, if so they are very rare!

www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/283.shtml

www.narrs.org.uk/sandlizard_monitoring.htm

www.uksafari.com/sandlizards.htm

That's why I said 99.9% sure!! The first one I saw was quite pale brown coloured and the gentleman I was with, who knew his stuff, said it wasn't a sand lizard as I had thought, but a male Common one. I was less than ten at the time, but still remember it! It lived in a sandy/bracken area and I saw it basking on the bench at the bus stop!!

Either way, it's a good find, 4P.

[Sweetleaf]

Whatever it is its very cute! I hope he has lots of friends

A friend of mine went to Thailand and he had lizards that size running around in his room, when he complained he was told he was very lucky as they fed on, and hunted mosquitos, he said they moved like lightning, and he couldnt get a photo.

[4pygmies]

It's exciting innit? You would assume that it must have hatched nearby-ish wouldn't you? How far away could a little baby like that have got from his birthplace I wonder.......there are rivers and lakes on one side and a main road in front of us......how many hatch at once? What time of year? How fast do they grow? I know nuffink......

[cheerypeabrain]

It's lovely 4P...you are sooooo lucky. I haven't seen one before.

[4pygmies]

Thanks The witch, they are very good links but I still haven't seen a picture which clearly looks like our little one - the 2nd link is interesting though - I might send the photo to them and ask for info.

[madonplants]

Jul 15, 2008 8:46:08 GMT 1 @4pygmies said:

Thanks The witch, they are very good links but I still haven't seen a picture which clearly looks like our little one - the 2nd link is interesting though - I might send the photo to them and ask for info.

Will be interested in what you find out, 4P. I went for Common Lizard mainly, due to location, but must admit to not knowing much about lizards other the ones I have seen, when I was a kid. My strengths have always been birds and snakes.

[4pygmies]

I think you're right about it being the common lizard, Keith, but since it was such an bright gold colour I'd like to confirm it - if I could track down some piccies of a baby lizard it would help!

[Sleepy]

Jul 15, 2008 12:51:03 GMT 1 @4pygmies said:

I think you're right about it being the common lizard, Keith, but since it was such an bright gold colour I'd like to confirm it - if I could track down some piccies of a baby lizard it would help!

[emseypop]

so its not one of those then!

[Sleepy]

Jul 15, 2008 16:43:19 GMT 1 @emseypop said:

so its not one of those then!

No. But lovely pictures ;D

[debidoos]

Jul 14, 2008 13:43:47 GMT 1 @4pygmies said:

It's exciting innit? You would assume that it must have hatched nearby-ish wouldn't you? How far away could a little baby like that have got from his birthplace I wonder.......there are rivers and lakes on one side and a main road in front of us......how many hatch at once? What time of year? How fast do they grow? I know nuffink......

It could've been dropped out of the sky by a bird that had caught it for it dinner, I was walking along a road when I had a fully grown newt dropped in front of me by a bird before!

[Sleepy]

Jul 15, 2008 17:13:27 GMT 1 @debidoos said:

Jul 14, 2008 13:43:47 GMT 1 @4pygmies said:

It's exciting innit? You would assume that it must have hatched nearby-ish wouldn't you? How far away could a little baby like that have got from his birthplace I wonder.......there are rivers and lakes on one side and a main road in front of us......how many hatch at once? What time of year? How fast do they grow? I know nuffink......

It could've been dropped out of the sky by a bird that had caught it for it dinner, I was walking along a road when I had a fully grown newt dropped in front of me by a bird before!

Did it survive the fall?

[debidoos]

Yes, it had a badly damaged tail, they break them off to get away don't they? and then regenerate them. I picked it up and put it in a bag (all I had at the time you don't expect flying lizards walking down the street do you?). We were not far from a lake, I presume that's where it had been caught, and I just released it on the verge there.

[4pygmies]

Jul 15, 2008 13:47:56 GMT 1 Sleepy said:

Jul 15, 2008 12:51:03 GMT 1 @4pygmies said:

I think you're right about it being the common lizard, Keith, but since it was such an bright gold colour I'd like to confirm it - if I could track down some piccies of a baby lizard it would help!

Wow, what amazing pictures....but what sort of lizard is that? Fantastic blue tail too.....

Definitely not my little Lenny though...but judging by the size of those pictures my lizard was a very young one wasn't he?

[debbiem]

They really are amazing pictures. Whose hand is that? I hope the lizard doesn't think that he's his mum.

[Sleepy]

Jul 16, 2008 10:00:48 GMT 1 @debbiem said:

They really are amazing pictures. Whose hand is that? I hope the lizard doesn't think that he's his mum.

I'm afraid they were just taken from the Internet Debbie. A US site I think.

[debbiem]

Great though aren't they?

[madonplants]

Looks like a five lined skink to me, but I might be wrong.

[Sleepy]

Jul 16, 2008 10:35:20 GMT 1 @madonplants said:

Looks like a five lined skink to me, but I might be wrong.

They were from this site which has some wonderful pics:

www.robertschoch.net/Tree%20Frogs%20Tadpoles%20Insects%20Colette%20Dowell%20Robert%20Schoch.htm