Backyard Alligator Lizard and Opposum

GQ.

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 12, 2002
Messages
767
Backyard Alligator Lizard and Opossum

I found this San Diego alligator lizard in the back yard last weekend. I was flipping junk looking for stuff and there he was. I was about to let him go his way when I noticed something peculiar. A thorn was sticking out from beneath his right eyelid! It was stuck right underneath his eyelid between the lid and his eyeball. I tried pulling it out by hand, but his eyelid kept stretching out too far. I grabbed a pair of tweezers and began pulling on it gently until it came out. The thorn ended up being about a quarter inch back into his eye. The total thorn length was 0.5 inches. When the thorn pulled free I immediately felt I had done the wrong thing as blood oozed from beneath the lid and over his eye.
I set him up in a clean container lined with paper towels for observation. I tossed in a few spiders and an earthworm for good measure. He ate them immediately. His eye began clearing up and he looked fine. I checked on him the next morning and he was good as new. Sweet! There was no bleeding and his eyeball was clear as ever. The photo is of him the next morning as I set him free. The previously afflicted eyeball can be seen in the photo. I'm glad everything worked out. :)
 

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GQ.

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 12, 2002
Messages
767
The second picture is of a little opossum I found in the backyard. As weird as they are I still think they are neat critters. I was searching for inverts in the yard when I spotted him. He stayed in this position the entire time I was photographing him. As soon as I left he resumed his tree climbing activities. I have found a couple of dove nests that have been raided this year. I thought it may have been crows, but now I'm rethinking that theory.

ps. I know I spelled opossum wrong in the title. I can't correct it and it is driving me crazy! :) (A little help moderators? :))
 

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atavuss

Arachnoprince
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Aug 16, 2002
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1,031
GQ,
how did you get the alligator lizard to stay still long enough for you to take the thorn out? all the alligator lizards I have seen are bitey little devils! looks like it had an abcess or something on its tail?
 

GQ.

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 12, 2002
Messages
767
atavuss said:
GQ,
how did you get the alligator lizard to stay still long enough for you to take the thorn out? all the alligator lizards I have seen are bitey little devils! looks like it had an abcess or something on its tail?
I just held him with my left hand around his body and snugged up close to the base of his head. I braced the left index finger over the left side of his head and placed my thumb under his jaw. He gaped his mouth the entire time, but never bit me. He did manage to lay an aromatic trail of turds across my hand. I would actually prefer a nice bite as opposed to the stink bomb treatment. The abscess looking thing actually looked more like a scar that had healed up. It appeared the tail had previously been partially broken at that point and then had healed over. I did not appear to be infected. The majority of alligator lizards I find in suburban areas have previously broken tails. Presumably because of loose cats.
 

GQ.

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 12, 2002
Messages
767
Speaking of lost and regenerated tails, I found this Elgaria tonight. I was scanning the front yard with a flashlight looking for inverts when I heard something in the leaf litter. I found this chunky Elgaria staring at me from underneath a shrub. I picked it up so I could run in and grab the camera. On the way inside I plucked a moth off of the grass. I placed it near its mouth and it snatched the moth from my fingers. I set it down for a picture and it ate the moth before scrambling into the brush.
 

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eksong

Arachnoknight
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Mar 14, 2004
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256
Wow GQ, you are lucky to have so much diversity in that backyard of yours.

Up here (in Dixon), basically the only creature I find in my backyard is my sleeping dog =/
 
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