Nature

Rare opportunity – with a twist: WPC

Young Western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis

So I was sitting in my living room when I saw this lizard scamper across my porch. Seeing a rare opportunity to get a good picture, I jumped up, dropped everything off of my lap, and grabbed my camera. The lizard moved fast but I managed to grab it. After it calmed down from the initial shock of being grabbed by a towering giant, it sunned itself calmly in the warm summer rays while perched on my hand.

Soaking up some rays

I quickly snapped several pictures as it posed for me. After I felt like I had snapped enough photos, I gently placed it down on the grass. That was when the fun began. It climbed up my pants leg and vanished from sight.

I brushed my pants this way and that but no lizard. I went into my bathroom and stripped off my pants and shook them and turned them inside out – no lizard. I took off my shirt and thoroughly searched it – still no lizard. I got dressed and happened to look in the mirror and saw a teeny tiny head peering over the top of my head. The little sneak! I grabbed it and took it back outside.

“She will never see me here!”

The pictures that you see at the beginning and end of this post are of the lizard after it had temporarily hidden from me. Do you see the look of satisfaction in its eyes? It took advantage of the situation and saw a rare opportunity to hitch a ride so it could explore new worlds.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Rare

Young Western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis
SoyBend

Centered in Bend, Oregon, my blog branches out into nature, history, and art-related topics.

View Comments

  • Holy cow! I can't believe you didn't feel it, but what an odd feeling it must have been to feel as though it had disappeared. I love the shot on your hand, showing the real size. I thought it was much larger in the first shot.

    janet

    • Yeah, it was only about two inches long. I didn't feel it physically but had a feeling it was still on me. I was right!

  • So funny! How amazing that it got all the way up to your head without your feeling it. That's why it is still alive, of course. Such deception is remarkable,

    Lyn

    • Its long, delicate toes and tiny size allowed it to climb to the top of the highest spot it could find.

    • It was enjoying the warm temperature outside and didn't notice (for a while) that it was on my hand. :)

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