Our Lizards . . .

We have so many of them now we refer to all of them as Fritz's, sometimes with a descriptor like "side yard Fritz" or "Short Tailed Fritz" but they are pretty amy every where in our yard.  They seem to tolerate us.

The oldest one, Fritzina, has now become a permanent resident in Judie's yard shoes.  Sometimes she is joined by short tail Fritz in an adjacent shoe.  Judie has two pairs of yard shoes placed on the little side rack by the Baker Racks just outside the patio door.  We use the door frequently but once they bed down for the night they do not seem to mind our comings and goings.  So nights, I check and there is Fritzina and other nights she and another Fritz is in their respective shoes.  She is usually in place in her shoe by 6 PM, sometimes earlier.

I am sure the shoes provide protection against night predators like snakes.  If the lizard curls up in the toe well out of the way, it is well protected.  That the shoes are dark means they hold the heat and warm up in the mornings.  So they get a fresh heat charge so to speak.

They seem to rise regularly about 9AM.  It appears to me to be about 72 or so degrees and the sun has been on the shoes for maybe a half hour or so.  So it means they get an early warm up.

First you see their little heads kind of sticking up out of the rear of the shoe.  Its like they are checking for crickets and predators.  Next you might see them sprawled over the shoes sort of getting their bearings.  And then they are off.  across the carpet to begin the days hunting.  The younger Fritz usually scoots over under the green box (a big green cabinet on wheels that houses bird seed and the like on the patio).  Big Fritz or Fritzina does not care to go there, she is heading off to the edge of the patio.  Later we see them here and there looking for prey, sometimes on the carpet, even up on the patio furniture (gives them a broader view).  I think they are pretty smart little animals

We have seen them in the trees, in the side yard, even in the garage.  They are welcome as they are master bug eaters.  We do not have many crickets any more,  rarely seen now days.  That is by far their favorite food.

I always fear that they will have over fed and devoured all their food supply.  But yet they even remain.  I guess their shoe domain is too attractive for them - safer than a wood pile.