"When I tell you something is dangerous, I mean it. And, I never forget the Victims"
T.J. Hooker
"Everyone can master a Grief but he who has it”
William Shakespeare
”I had given him a life not worth living, but I had also given him an iron will to live. This was a common combination on the planet Earth”
Kurt Vonnegut about his character, Kilgore Trout.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Tuesday Tails. Tiny lizard,tiny endangered snail, Tort Report, Wolfie Report.

This was all written out on Monday afternoon.

A few nights ago, a little fence lizard baby (they are all over the backyard now) climbed up our wall for the last of the sun, and must have come in the weep hole for the window.  Yes, it is that small.  It climbed crookedly up the inside of the screen and froze when I opened the curtains.  I didn't notice it there until I sat on the bed and started knitting.  I looked and looked at that sad sight, thinking that an insect had splayed out on the screen overnight, suffered fatal injuries and was just hanging there.  I knit some more, loath to go out and prize what  looked like an unfortunate night flyer of some sort out of it's death grip on the outside of the screen.  As I was knitting, I thought about it, looked back up and said to myself, "Could that really be a little lizard?"

Indeed it was, an absolutely petrified and tiny fence lizard.  As my big eyes approached, it dove for cover, and wedged it's body tightly against the window frame.  I put a finger down in front of it's face, and up curled the tail.  I got the very tip of that tiny thread of a tail and lifted the baby lizard gently from the slot it was in.  It was, luckily, too cold to over react and too small to drop it's tail.

I wrapped the fingers of my warm hand gently around the little darling, and Mr.Z then opened all the intervening doors with me and the lizard in his wake.

It now lives in Laura's little garden.  Or at least that's were we put it, so that it could warm up and be safe while doing so.  Since I forgot to take my own pictures, I'm sharing one from a site that should be promoted as their works involve cleaning up plastics and bay clean-up, and lots of enthusiastic kids.

Their site, Friends of Ballona Wetlands, is hot linked below the photo.

SOURCE 


Lance Gilbertson's Photo at Biodiversity's Site.
Now for the REALLY small talk:

This tiny half inch snail is swiftly disappearing from it's range.  Please don't laugh, as it's an important part of the ecosystem that has survived there in it's range for at least 10,000 years.  Let's try to get it a break.

You can help out this little gastropod by signing a petition at Biological Diversity's site. HERE.  They are pretty good at leaving you alone if you threaten them with, maybe, close nail clipping, but definitely not anything else.  They have a bad rep for suing the pants off all and sundry, but they fight like tigers and tigers are what it takes in this day and age.

And now the Tort Report:

Lucky and Churchy had a feast of apple after having watermelon yesterday and the day before.  I'm not sure what Poko does but she is up and away very early in the morning.  She gets up practically at the crack of dawn.

Lucky, eating his apple.

And two days ago, some watermelon.

 Churchy, eating his portion of apple Monday morning


Today, this is being written on Monday, Dusty and Milagro, had to be brought in. Small tortoises can't stand temps being too high.  The temperature is 101° and it's 2:30pm.  It's a very hot day.

Wolfie Report:

Wolfie tells me, with his tired little eyes, that the weather is getting the best of him.  I hope that he doesn't have to go out on a long walk this afternoon.  He lays around on the cool tiles like a diminutive bear rug.  He's not feeling himself.  Without AC, this weather would be completely hospitalization weather.

 And, sometimes he just snuggles in anyway.

2 comments:

  1. Poor Wolfie. :-(
    Dogs and such heat just don't mix well.
    Good eyes on that lizard though - way to go!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your comment! The tiny lizard was wonderful to hold. At night it gets relatively cool so they slow down a lot. Not so frisky!

    Yes, Poor Wolfie - black all over and fuzzy. Mr. Z takes him out very early in the cooler mornings, and then as late as possible before dinner. Then he goes out after the sun is down at night. Wolfie and the Torts don't mix, so he can't be out in the back yard to do his business.

    ReplyDelete

I’m going through some stuff but I will peek in now and then and will be back when it’s over..