Untouchable

Ever closer, inch

by careful inch, her breath damps

the scales…. (twitch) vanished!

-o.o-

The Pilgrim Iguana

 

Every day, this

halo’ed lizard journeys from

front yard to backyard.

 

Yesterday, he made the journey back toward the front when the dogs were out. I saw him fly across the patio at lightning speed, both dogs close on his heels; he disappeared under a bush (and from there probably over the fence), much to their disappointment. Seeing him proceed cautiously when nobody is outside, you’d never guess he could move that fast. He’s grown quite a bit since earlier this summer:

 

 

 

 

 

-o.o-

 

Lizard

This fellow ran across the side yard yesterday. It would have been nice if he’d eaten today’s scorpion.

It reminds me of something interesting I learned recently about gecko feet, though (and yes, I know this lizard is not a gecko). Apparently, the way they stick to things is actually not electrostatically, as was recently thought, but actually via Van der Waals forces between the tiny hairs at the bottom of a gecko’s feet and the surface to which it sticks. I actually heard it described (somewhere this week) as though the hairs actually become one with the surface, until the gecko lifts its foot. Sounds like a new type of superpower to me – I can see it now: Gecko Man, with the amazing power to stick to virtually anything! Even in outer space!

I imagine they must pick up some interesting vibrations beneath their toes.

-o.o-