Leapin’ Lizards!!

Leapin’ Lizards!! originally published on Food and Fond Memories on September 1, 2011 by sandyaxelrod Leave a Comment (Edit)

Leapin’ Lizards!!

Oh, don’t worry I have not and most likely never will prepare a lizard dish. But living in South Florida we have an abundance of the little critters. Not only that, but so many species abound right in my backyard. When Steve, Brian and I moved here way back in May of 1982 we quickly developed a fascination with Florida’s salamanders.

For some odd reason whenever we would go to art shows we would be drawn to ceramic or metal hand made lizards. So we began collecting them. And collecting them. And……. You get the picture. They are pretty much anywhere you look inside our home as well as outside. We must have at least 100 different pieces of salamander art. Each one a little different in size ranging from a couple of inches to almost three feet. Obviously when we start living in a RV full time we will have to whittle down the collection to just a couple. Our daughter-in-law Eve said we should figure out a way to display some of them on our “patio” or outdoor kitchen while we travel from state to state.

Even our little Yorkie Hershi is critter crazy. He darts back and forth following the salamanders  in an effort to catch one. I don’t know what he would do with it if he caught it. But he never has, because as fast as Hershi is, the salamanders are faster. He has to look up every tree that we pass on our walks to see if he spots one. Sometimes he is so intent that he sees just where they have gone in the grass and he buries his nose way down into it; but alas he still comes up empty.

In our yard I have seen straight tailed lizards and curly tailed ones. Teeny baby efts and giant adults. And several times I have spied a large green one on our back fence. The wildest lizard I have ever seen while out and about was a rather large Iguana casually walking down Southern Boulevard then scurrying into a field when a car honked and scared it away.

Which brings me to my latest encounter. Last week our washing machine was on the fritz and we had to wait until Friday for the repairman. So our laundry had piled up in front of the washer, which is in the garage. I needed to go into the garage to throw out the trash so I reached around to turn on the light switch just above the washer. When then light went on I almost screamed at what I saw. I was half startled and half enthralled with a giant green salamander perched on top of my laundry pile looking at its reflection in the washer’s glass door. I called to Steve to come look and grabbed my camera to snap a few shots.

When I finished shooting my photos Steve carefully put a towel over the lizard and carried it just outside of the garage, thinking it would scamper off into the grass. Instead, as quick as could be, it ran right back into our garage. Steve searched but couldn’t find it. It was either hiding under my car or under all of the cabinets and shelves that line the walls.

I guess our green lizard liked where he had been perched or just liked seeing its reflection. Because in the morning when Steve went into the garage to leave for work, there it was, right back on top of the laundry looking at itself in the glass! This time he released it way down at the bottom of the driveway. But that was after he had closed the garage door.

Now if anyone can tell me what species of these leapin’ lizards are, I would really love to know!!