Raymond, the California Lizard

Do you see him?  

Raymond decided the Mexican Iguana (or Geico Gekko) was getting way too much press time on this blog (see last Tuesday's post), so he was out taking a stroll in the delightful California sunshine today, and practically darted across my feet, trying to get my attention.  He managed it without much effort, zipping past me in the company parking lot as I left my office building to go to lunch.

He is a cute little guy, excuse me, Dude.  He is a cute little Dude (he is, after all, from California), and obliged me by posing very quietly next to the sidewalk.  While he was poised, frozen with fear - or was it just artful posing - in the dirt, I swear I could just hear him thinking (just like my kitty playing in his boxes and bags), "You can't see me!  You can't see me!  Seriously, there's nuthin' to see here, move along!"

I almost bought it for a minute... but then I realized he knew perfectly well I had already seen him.  I think he just wanted his picture on the internet so he could brag to his friends.  "Don't you think that photo captured my essence?  I think that lady got my good side.  You know, I'm related to Godzilla, on my mother's side. He ate Tokyo, you know.  Our family has a long history with Hollywood... do you think I'll get an agent from this?"

As far as I can tell, Raymond is a Great Basin Fence Lizard, one of the most common of Southern California lizards.  (But, hey, don't tell him that he's common!)

When I looked at him closer, I could tell he'd fairly recently lost a part of his tail. I wonder if he was just molting, or if he lost his tail in a more dramatic way?

Ready for my close-up!

Raymond, or Raymundo, to his friends, blends in nicely with the dirt next to the porch of our office building.  We're up on a hill, surrounded by trees, so all kinds of wildlife can be found wandering around, including a pair of beautiful ring-tailed hawks who have a nest on the hillside below the southwestern side of our building.  If I ever manage to capture a photo of them, I'll be thrilled!

Now that I think of them, I wonder if the hawks have tried to have Raymond for breakfast, hence the short tail?  Maybe there's a story there.

Well, whatever the reason for his short tail, it was fun seeing the little dude outside this afternoon.

Lizards eat garden pests - all the "bad" bugs that can ruin gardens - so they are a benefit to any gardener.  When I was a little girl, growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, there was a family of lizards who lived under the eaves of our house by my bedroom.

I always thought of them as good luck because of that.

So, I'm just spreading a little good luck around today: from Raymond, the little dude, through me, to you out there in cyber space.

Have a wonderful day!