Walter's leaving tomorrow. So I'm moping around the yard taking flower pix to cheer myself up. Scootering by an upturned old wheelbarrow, I did a double-take.
I looked.
I looked again.
Now, I've seen lizards with crooked tails before. As you may know, if you grab a lizard by the tail, it will detach the tail and run away. It actually regrows the tail.
Once. It's a one-time thing. If they drop their tail a second time, it won't grow back again.
According to lizard lore, at least.
Sometimes they grow back funny.
But I have never, ever seen one remotely like this before.
It looks like it was either just starting or just finishing shedding its skin. That's the funny whitish stuff on its face, and maybe toes too.
But that tail? Totally intact, fresh and clean and gleaming in the sunshine.
I'll be a monkey's uncle.
13 comments:
Very wierd!
Perhaps the lizard's tail was just damaged enough to trigger the regrowth? And it regrew at each break of the skin?
Very odd critter.
Never seen anything like that...
What if you cut off the tip, will it gro back 6 parts then?? Brush-tail :D
Just here to thank you 'in person' for the beautiful comments you left on my blog... and, to wish you comfort today, sweet lady.
That sure is freaky looking! Do lizards bite?
Wierd indeed.
Cindi, yes but it would be a very unusual thing to be bitten by that sort of lizard. You'd have to have it trapped or caught before it would try biting in defense.
I've been bitten on rare occasion by geckoes that somehow got indoors and I needed to rescue from the cats. Itty bitty very sharp little teeth they have!
Okay, that's really weird! But interesting.
Hang in there, k. Hope Walter does okay as he gets back to work. Keep us posted. I'm thinking of you two...(((HUGS)))
Drudge Report today has a great picture of a pig born with two faces.
That lizard reminds me of the Southwest's sahuaro cacti -- they only start those "limbs" at a point of injury. Tell Walter to take care of himself!
I’ve heard of forked tongues but not tails. Cool pics, thanks for sharing.
just checking in... hoping all is well for you and Walter.
Nancy, Sassy, dnr, everyone - I'm glad you liked him. and, aHA! See, y'all taught me something here. Thinking about that regrowth process, it makes sense that maybe he got damaged there just enough to trigger the two extra bits of tail, but not enough to break it all the way off. Yup. Just like a saguaro. Didn't know that one either - thanks granny j!
kirsten, good thing I wasn't drinking anything when I read your comment! I did a serious LOL on that one. It made me want to go hunt the poor thing down and start performing obnoxious Evil Experiments on it. Lucky for him, I haven't seen him again...yet...
Jean, you have a beautiful blog. It's a pleasure, always, to read and comment both over there. How's that for karma?
kees, I thought you might like this one! And cindi and DC, yes, they are capable of biting, if they can get their little mouths open far enough. But they rarely even try. Those tiny teeth really are sharp, but they can't seem to break the skin.
Down here, people often call them chameleons. We have two varieties that are official geckoes, but they look and walk differently, usually live in darker areas and are more visible at night, which is when the other ones sleep. The geckoes aren't native. They were imported to eat various critters infesting one's house. Organic pest control. Feral, now.
I'm not sure our lizards are related to yours, DC - for one thing, I remember you mentioning once that yours actually TALK. Ours never do. Not that I've heard, anyway. It's always just me talking to them.
We have a wide variety of species, including lots of exotics like wild iguanas, Knight's anoles, and monitor lizards. The pretty little changeable green anoles that were predominant 30 years ago have been replaced by these brown Cuban lizards that actually EAT the natives. grrrrr!!!
John, RATS. I totally missed the two-faced pig. Things were just hopping around here and it got right by me.
Well...hopefully, just like a bus, there's another one around the corner...
It's Global Warming. Just ask "AL"
Post a Comment