In spring and summer in Texas, we see lizards everywhere we look. They’re climbing on the trees, crawling on the ground, and running around the walls of our houses. If you watch a lizard for a few minutes in the summer, you’ll probably see it catching an insect to eat, or chasing another lizard out of its territory, or sitting in the shade to stay cool.
But in the fall and winter when the temperature drops, we don’t see many lizards anymore. What are they doing when the cold wind and rain come? The answer is, they’re not doing very much! Lizards are a type of animal called ectotherms, which means that their body temperature is the same as the environment around them. So when the air outside is cold, lizards are cold too. On the other hand, humans (along with other mammals and birds) are endotherms, which means that our internal functions keep our bodies at a warm temperature no matter what the weather is outside.
When lizards are cold, they don’t need to eat very much to stay alive, so they don’t need to be active. Instead, they try to find a warm place to hide. They might burrow under leaves, or dig a hole in the soil, or find a hole in a tree trunk. In general, lizards will sit very still in these safe places and wait for warmer weather, when they will come out and sit in the sun to warm themselves. Once they’re warm, they’ll start running after food and chasing other lizards again!
For the scientists in the Lizard Lab, we usually work inside during the winter too. Since it’s harder to find lizards outside, we spend this time looking at lizard cells under a microscope, looking for patterns in our measurements from the summer, and writing papers about our new discoveries. There’s always important work to do when you’re a scientist!
katharine
Jul 20, 2015 -
I once found a small (c.3-4 in), shiny, all-black lizard in the snow when walking on a mountain in Bavaria, Germany. It was sunny, though not warm and the lizard was quite sluggish. Was this an anomaly (i.e. the lizard had accidentally hitched a lift on an ascending cable car), or can lizards live in snowy climates? I would be grateful for any information. Thank you.
Michele
Jul 20, 2015 -
Hi Katherine! Thanks for your message. There are lizards that live in colder climates, including the mountains of Bavaria. (For example, this wikipedia.com webpage lists all of the reptiles that live in Europe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reptiles_of_Europe.) The lizard you found was probably a local lizard, who was just trying to warm up in the sun. Sounds like a fun find!
Pepe
May 4, 2016 -
If I have a lizard (whiptail) in my room and I have a Ac in my room to keep it cool would the temperature on the cold vent affect it & also can they be healed? Respond asap please.
Michele Johnson
May 4, 2016 -
Hi Pepe. Whiptails generally prefer warm temperatures, so if your room is too cold it might not be good for this lizard. If the lizard is active and eating, it’s probably warm enough. In any case, if you’re keeping this lizard as a pet, you’d need to provide it with a heat lamp for basking.
Kevin
Jun 21, 2017 -
Hello I just recently bought 2 anoles and I keep them in my room in their tank..but the only issue I got is that is it ok to have the a.c. on at night cause it’s to go where I am from please reply!!
Michele Johnson
Jun 22, 2017 -
Hi Kevin, Captive anoles should be generally ok in an air conditioned room at night. But during the day, they would need to have a lamp that provides both heat and UV (full spectrum) light. They’ll be happier with a cage that’s warmer than you’ll probably want your room to be.
martha
Sep 16, 2015 -
I’m sure this is quite a ridiculous question, however, I can’t resist. Is there anything I can do to help the lizards who live in my yard be comfortable and safe as the temperature drops and the rare rain comes (So. California)?
mjadmin
Sep 17, 2015 -
Hi Martha! The best thing you can do to keep the lizards in your yard safe is to keep any cats out of your yard. If you have pet cats yourself, please keep them indoors. Otherwise, the lizards who live in your area are probably fairly well-adapted to the climate of your area, so I expect that they know where to hide to stay warm and dry. Thanks for your question!
Diane
Oct 27, 2018 -
Martha, I just had to let you know that someone in SC just saw your question because she was looking for exactly the info. 🙂 Then, once I ran across this page and your question, I had to call my husband to let him know that I was not the only soul on earth, wondering what I could do to keep the lizards in our yard (mostly deck area) warm, since the temp today is cooler than it has been this year. I just wanted to say thank you for being another “keeper of the wild” person. 🙂 Diane in SC
Debbie
Oct 19, 2019 -
make that 3 asking. i too was wondering if i could help keep a lizard warmer in the winter. at night he sleeps in my flower pot that actually has more rocks than dirt. if hes the same one he comes here every yr or maybe he lives here. i have never been into reptiles of any kind but hes a friendly fella and hes grown on me. what fo lizards eat? maybe i could throw in sone food for him in the winter time. lettuce?
mjadmin
Oct 20, 2019 -
Hi Debbie, Lizards generally know how to keep themselves warm during the winter, and there’s really not much you can add to your yard to allow a lizard to better control its body temperature. Stones and rocks that warm up in the sun, and soil to burrow into, are generally enough for them. You didn’t mention what kind of lizard you have in your flower pot, but few lizards eat vegetation. Most eat only live insects or other small vertebrates, and if the lizard is naturally in your yard, then your yard has enough food for her or him. Enjoy watching your little guy!
Lisa
Oct 29, 2019 -
Me too! I told my boyfriend I wanted to put a small heater outside for them. Lol. He laughed, smiled at me and shook his head…then he said no . We have 3 adults and two babies that live on our deck behind some wall hangings next to the porch lights. They’ve been there since last spring. I live in Phoenix and it’s starting to get cold so I hardly see them anymore. I hope they are still here when it warms up again.
Erica
Nov 21, 2019 -
SAME HERE!! SC living and I asked the same question to my boyfriend! Thanks this was so helpful!!
Kat
Dec 1, 2020 -
Also same! I got online just now to see what I could do to help my garden lizards that are always on my patio. There’s one I’ve grown fond of that seems to recognize me as well, and doesn’t freak out anymore when I get close so I wanted to make sure she’s warm through this cold snap
Sarah
Dec 9, 2020 -
Same here – I live in FL and have a curly tailed lizard that has been hanging out on my patio for the last couple of months. I give him blueberries a couple of times a week. When it started getting cold, he moved into the center of a roll of plastic mesh fencing I had sitting on the patio. The temperatures dropped to the 40’s last night, so I covered the roll of fencing with a sheet and put 3 hot water bottles around it. I’m so worried about him!
Madisyn
Dec 26, 2020 -
Same here!!! Trying to find ways to keep the lizards on my patio warm as the weather cools down
Ana
Oct 21, 2022 -
I had the same question and I live in CA as well. Our cats roam our yard and my garden and one of the 2 cats brought a lizard inside, twice in the last few days. I knew they get sluggish when it’s cold but didn’t know where to put so it stays warm. I’ve placed the 2nd lizard (maybe the same one as the 1st one?) inside my green house and covered it with little dirt. I figured it’s definitely safe there, it’s warm enough, cats can’t get in but the lizard can easily leave the gh if it wants to. Plus enough spiders to eat.
Anyways, nice to “see” other compassionate people
Maria
Sep 20, 2015 -
Please answer me , I don’t like to much lizards and I’m afraid to find one in my home because I leave by a golf court , what can I do to prevent them come in ?. I’m sorry but they scare me very much.
Thank you
Michele Johnson
Sep 20, 2015 -
Hi Maria,
I’m sorry to hear that you don’t like lizards, but I can reassure you that there’s nothing that most lizards can do to harm you. I don’t know where you live, but lizards don’t carry any diseases that can infect humans, and even if they bite you (which would be extraordinarily unlikely), they can’t hurt you. The lizards that you might see in your home are not aggressive toward humans, and in fact they would be very afraid of you. They’re probably hard to catch, because they’ll run away from you! Lizards do eat insects and spiders, so they can help keep other pests out of your home, but there’s not much you can do to keep the lizards themselves out, if they’re common in your area. Thanks for your message!
Michele
Whittles
Dec 2, 2020 -
We recently traveled from Florida to Texas and when we were unpacking our truck we found a house gecko stowaway barely moving. We brought him in and currently have him in a little cage and he has perked up well. However, it’s still very cold, and being that he is from florida I’m worried he may not be able to adjust here. Any advice would be really helpful.
mjadmin
Dec 3, 2020 -
Your stowaway is most likely an invasive Mediterranean house gecko. If so, it’s probably a pretty robust lizard that can handle the Texas climate pretty well. But it might make a good pet too!
Rian
Nov 14, 2015 -
If you really dont like them, get a cat or a dog, they will probably chase them out of the house and keep you cozy.
mjadmin
Nov 16, 2015 -
Hi Rian – you’re right, cats in particular will kill lizards in our homes, and if they’re allowed outside, in our yards and communities too. But, lizards (and songbirds, small mammals, and other reptiles that are all killed by roaming cats) are critically important members of our ecological communities, so keep your cats indoors!
Chris F
Sep 25, 2015 -
I accidently left my lizard cage outside last night and my Long Tailed Lizard died. However my green Anole is fine. could the cause of death been something else besides the cold? the temperature dropped down to 50 degrees.
Michele Johnson
Sep 25, 2015 -
Hi Chris. I’m sorry to hear of the death of your long-tailed lizard. It does seem likely that this may have been due to the stress from the cold, as long-tailed lizards are from tropical climates, while green anoles are a more temperate species (occurring as far north as South Carolina in the USA, where temperatures regularly reach 50F). The lizard’s death could also have been due to other factors, but if it had generally seemed healthy before, the cold seems to be the more likely reason.
Jack Pickens
Apr 3, 2016 -
Anoles are actually found further north than South Carolina. I’ve lived in Charlotte, NC and Hendersonville, NC and have seen plenty of Anoles running around.
Lisa
Sep 28, 2015 -
Thank you for your information on lizards! Our dog loves to ‘hunt’ them which of course we monitor carefully so as she never actually catches one! I googled lizards because we are seeing less and less and I wondered where they are going. Thank you for your help.
Interesting tidbit….i went to Trinity University years ago! AND my niece was just contracted to be a silver spurs dancer!!
Michele Johnson
Sep 28, 2015 -
Thanks, Lisa! It’s always great to make Trinity connections!
Larry
Nov 5, 2015 -
Hello Dr. Johnson
Two weeks ago I found a small (+/-4″ tiptotip) lizard on my patio in SoCal. At first I thought he was dead but a gentle poke got a lethargic reaction. So I moved him a little so no one would step on him. Through the days as he sits in the sun he becomes a little more active. a couple other lizards have come up to him, done a few push ups and then nip at his tail which gets a much bigger reaction out of him.
Until three days ago, the evening temps were in the 80’s. Now it is low 60’s and briskly breezy. So I built a little opaque plastic enclosure with a small opening so he is not trapped but is protected from the cold a little.
Any advise on what to do with him?
Thanks in advance,
Larry
Michele Johnson
Nov 9, 2015 -
Hi Larry – thanks for your message. It sounds like you are a great friend to this little lizard, but from your description, he may just be an old and/or sick lizard, and there’s usually not much we can do to help them recover. You might offer this little guy a few bugs or worms from your yard, because if he’s in the enclosure he likely doesn’t have much food, and I’d suggest spraying some water on the side of the enclosure so he has some drops to lick (most lizards won’t drink standing water, so putting out a bowl of water wouldn’t help). And, you’ll also want to make sure that the enclosure doesn’t heat up too much in the sun, because heat stress could be bad for him too.
Best,
Michele
ej from ABQ, NM
Nov 7, 2015 -
Glad to find this site! I live in Albuquerque and have kept track of five (my Fab 5) lizards this summer. We call them Whiptails (others can see more about them here: http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/new-mexico/state-reptile/new-mexico-whiptail-lizard) Anyway we’ve had freezing temps the past two nights and I was very concerned. One is tiny, less than 2 inches including tail, so I put a piece of solar blanket near the area they like on the southside of the house. The baby has been hiding in there and seems fine during the day. BUT, this morning I found one of the group “frozen” on the side of the house. I picked it up and placed it in the sun. I was certain it was dead and felt VERY sad. But soon he began to twitch. I was watching from a distance so not to scare “him.” Soon he moved around and then took off. I just saw the baby and one other and they are still fine.
So what happens when it’s freezing night and day during December/January? And, what is their lifespan? As you can see, I’m very attached to this crew!! Anything else I can do?
ej from ABQ, NM
Nov 7, 2015 -
Should have read my own link… get this: In one of the greatest mysteries of nature – they are all female! After reading that, I do recall hearing it years ago. The article says a bit more about HOW they reproduce, but it changes my thoughts about this group of GALS!! How fun and anxious to learn more!!
Michele Johnson
Nov 9, 2015 -
Whiptail lizards are such cool species! And I saw from your second comment that you’ve learned that your species is parthenogenetic (all females), which makes them even more interesting. These lizards definitely prefer warmer temperatures (such as those provided by your solar blanket), but they can usually withstand cold temperatures for a short time (e.g., overnight). When it is cold most of the time, the lizards will find a warmer place to hide (perhaps under large rocks, buried in leaf litter, or in a corner of your house) so that they can keep their body temperature within a safe range. At cooler temperatures, their metabolism is much slower, so they don’t need to come out to find food. So, you probably won’t see much of them in the coldest months. (Of course, if it gets too cold for too long, they could die, but most will probably survive the winter.) The lifespan of most whiptails is around 2-3 years, if they make it past the juvenile stage.
Cheers,
Michele
deedee
Nov 8, 2015 -
I am an avid gardener and in recent years have learned the benefits of my little green friends the Anole we seem to really like one another so much so that they rarely leave even if im close.
NOW ive fallen in love with them because they are smart and seem to assist me with the texas insect over population. That said when transplanting some tropical plants i found three eggs placed them in my terrarium and now i have babies its too cold out to free them so what now….
i do have appropriate lighting but cannot find what to feed them small enough.
in the terrarium there are some small bugs we call
“no see em’s” but im not sure what to do next. Tiny crickets? Meal worms?
Michele Johnson
Nov 9, 2015 -
Hi Deedee! I agree – anoles are such interesting members of our gardens in Texas! (If these lizards were in the tropical plants, they are likely the invasive brown anoles, which can look like our native green anoles but compete with them for food and perches. If you have brown anoles, I’d suggest not releasing them back into your yard, to protect our very cool native Texas green anoles.)
You can feed baby anoles almost any kind of very small insects. Pinhead crickets or wingless fruit flies (both of which you can easily purchase from online pet supply companies) would likely be best, but they may eat mealworms or other soft insects too. Have fun with your lizards this winter!
Cheers,
Michele
Sarah
Nov 14, 2015 -
Hi- I found a green anole in my kitchen. I live in AL, but it’s still cold outside (getting down to the thirties at night), while my apartment is in the seventies. If I put him outside in this weather, will he die?
mjadmin
Nov 16, 2015 -
Hi Sarah! The lizards that live in your area are probably well-adapted to the yearly fluctuations in temperature that occur there. I think the anole you found would be more comfortable in your apartment, since it’s warmer, but I’d suggest putting him back outside. Lizards are usually pretty good at finding warmer places to hide when the weather is colder.
chris
Nov 27, 2015 -
I found a good sized lizard on my front porch. It’s raining and in the 30s and he won’t move. I brought him in to warm up but it’s very cold today. What should I do with him once he warms up for a couple of hours
mjadmin
Nov 27, 2015 -
Hi Chris – thanks for your care of this lizard! I expect it will be fine outside, since most lizards are well-adapted to surviving in their natural habitat (even when it’s cold). Their metabolism slows down dramatically in the cold, so cold lizards often don’t move. I expect this little guy would rather be inside your warm house, but it’s probably safe for him outside.
Faith
Nov 30, 2015 -
I found a lizard in my kitchen, curled up in the bottom of a wine glass. He’s moving a tiny amount, I’d moved the glass to see if he was alive. I live in Louisiana, it’s cold, but not too cold right now. We find lizards in the house all the time, they eat the bugs. I’m assuming he’s liking the kitchen since it’s warm. How can I make sure he stays alive? I can send pictures of him if you want to follow up with me.
mjadmin
Nov 30, 2015 -
Hi Faith – I think your little lizard will be ok in the cold. Lizards in Louisiana are accustomed to the natural fluctuations in temperature there, even if they do prefer your warm kitchen! He may be moving so little because he’s hungry, since he may not have been able to get out of the wine glass. If you’re worried, you could offer him some small insects to eat. Good luck!
Tiffany Gray
Nov 30, 2015 -
I’m near Dallas, Texas. Three days ago, my husband found a small gecko in the house, so he picked it up and put it outside. But we had just experienced a dramatic drop in temps from high 60s to low 50s (and with strong winds). The gecko seemed to struggle walking across our front porch (it seemed as if it was sticking to the porch). So, we ended up taking it back inside the house, placing it in a shoe box with air holes in the “ceiling”, a tablespoon of soil from an indoor plant and a bottle cap of water. We also got some worms from a local pet shop to feed it. Predominantly, the gecko spends its time perched inside an interior flap of the box (which i imagine is pretty dark in there). But being concerned that the gecko might be harmed by having no access to sunlight, yesterday, i replaced the shoe box top with a see through plastic top that has a small air hole.
My goal is to release the gecko outside as soon as it gets a little warmer, with the hope that the gecko has a window of time to locate shelter for the fall/winter. Today we are in the mid 40s, but in two days we will have a sunny day with a high of 58 degrees. In the meantime, I want to be sure i am not hurting the gecko more than i am helping it. In the evening of Day 1, i placed three live tiny worms in the box. It appears that the gecko ate two of the worms but the third worm has yet to be eaten. I understand that the gecko may have already slowed down due to the colder temps, but …
Should i not put any other worms in the box until the gecko eats the third original worm? Should i remove that worm and put a couple of new ones in the box (perhaps the gecko doesn’t like it for some reason)? Is there anything you suggest that i do different from what i am doing? when i do release it, should i take it to a tree, or bush, or particular spot that is more likely to provide a natural shelter to it?
mjadmin
Dec 1, 2015 -
Hi Tiffany! Your gecko probably needs water – even though you gave it a bottle cap of water, most lizards won’t drink standing water. It would be better to spray some water on the side of the plastic box with a mister, and it would probably lick the droplets. I assume you probably bought mealworms from the pet store. If they are too large, the gecko might not eat them; but, you said that they’re small, so the gecko may just not be hungry (due to its lower metabolism in colder temps). Remember too, that geckos are nocturnal, so you probably won’t see much activity at all during the day. When you’re ready, I don’t think there’s any bad place to release the gecko. (I expect this is an invasive, Mediterranean house gecko, which primarily live on our houses in Texas.) Good luck with this guy – they’re super interesting lizards!
Tiffany Gray
Dec 1, 2015 -
Thank you!!!
Tiffany Gray
Nov 30, 2015 -
Correction: the gecko hasn’t eaten ANY of the worms. All three are still crawling around.
Bridget
Dec 16, 2015 -
My son is 5 he have caught 6 lizards and I have them all in a 30 gallon tank and u try to by meal warms and lizards once a week they have adapted quit fine I sometime have to touch them to make sure they are alive I’m in Ga the weather isn’t so cold yet but I like them as pets how big will they normally get
mjadmin
Dec 16, 2015 -
Hi Bridget,
It sounds like you and your son are having a lot of fun with your lizards! I don’t know how large your lizards will get, because I don’t know what kind of lizards you have. If you’d like to send me a photo of the lizards, and tell me the area where you live, I can try to help you get more information. You can email me at trinitylizardlab@gmail.com. – Cheers, Michele
Bridget
Dec 16, 2015 -
I’m sorry meal warms and Crickets
Deborah
Dec 19, 2015 -
Hi Michelle,
I’m so happy to have found this article! I have a somewhat serious question. I live in Phoenix, Arizona where it is quite hot. I have four little garden lizards that are in a large aquarium with several lights and a heat rock, etc. I’ve done my best to research and provide them a healthy happy habitat. I would set them free but I have two cats and I think they have a better chance to survive in the aquarium until we move out of this house next year> Now it is getting colder at night and I don’t run the heater much for our own issues (the air gets too dry for us, etc). Now I’m worried what I should do to help these poor guys survive through winter, especially since today I found one lying on his back, limbs up. I thought he was dead but when I picked him up he was still alive but I’m worried he may die. I’m holding him in my hand to keep him warm as I write this.Do you have any advice? After reading your article I wonder if I should do something to encourage/help them to sort of hibernate. I know the other option would be to relocate them, which I admit I don’t want to do. I really love lizards! But maybe that would be best. but that’s a last resort for me as I’m so attached to them, so I wondered if you had any helpful suggestions?? Thank you so much!
(sorry this was so long!)
mjadmin
Dec 23, 2015 -
Hi Deborah – it sounds like you’ve made a nice habitat for your lizards. I don’t know exactly what kind of lizards you mean by “garden lizards,” or how long you’ve had them in captivity, so I’m not sure what advice to give regarding what’s best for them. I agree that if you let them loose around your home, your cats will probably kill them. If you captured them locally in the wild, then arguably the “best” could be to return them to their natural habitat, which they’re probably well-adapted to (even in the cold). But, I understand the joy of keeping pets, and having the heat rock and the (UV?) lights you have in your aquarium is probably a reasonable compromise.
Deborah
Dec 19, 2015 -
I have one other question. Sometimes I notice they look almost “shriveled”, like they are starving, even though they have crickets to eat. Does this mean they are not getting enough to eat? Should I be concerned? It bothers me when I notice this but maybe its normal if they haven’t eaten recently??
Thanks! 🙂
mjadmin
Dec 23, 2015 -
The lizards may look “shriveled” because they don’t have enough water – are you misting the cage with water each day? Best of luck with these lizards! – Michele
Dina
Dec 20, 2015 -
I live near Kentucky and its getting pretty cold out side and i just got 2 green anoles (1 male 1female) and im afraid to put them near the window, where could i put them?
mjadmin
Dec 23, 2015 -
Hi Diana – do you have your lizards in a container with a heat/UV lamp? If so, you should be able to keep them anywhere in your home. Enjoy the anoles!
Jr
Dec 23, 2015 -
is it OK to support a little lizard over the winter in my house? I found this little lizard about 2 inches long in my master bath which is a long way to any access outside. after helping it find its way out it found its ways back. here in Arizona a have several large rock piles designed into my landscape where hundreds of different types of lizards live but this guy is too small and its getting too cold. I spray around it with water because I know the lizards really like it when I spray the hose around them and the wall and the rocks over the summer but I don’t know what to feed this thing, its too small. anyways this lizard is looking at me now with suspicion.
Michele Johnson
Dec 28, 2015 -
Hi JR – lizards can make good pets, if you know what to provide for them. Most lizards need a cage or aquarium with a UV/heat lamp, live food such as crickets or mealworms, and daily misting with water (they’ll lick water droplets from the side of the cage). Good luck with your little guy!
Deborah
Dec 24, 2015 -
Thank you so much Dr. Johnson for taking the time to answer my questions, and even more for gathering so much information for those of us who love these little guys and want to share in their existence. I have learned so much since I started reading this blog (not only this one but the others on this website)! I never realized that lizards don’t drink standing water; since I read that here in one of your replies to someone else I have begun to do that. I think once winter has passed I am going to release these guys and buy a larger lizard that has a longer life span in captivity. I will be sure and give it a great habitat, and thanks to this site and some others, I think I will be ready to do that. I know a lot of people think I’m a little strange because I love lizards so much, but I used to catch them when I was really small and I just have always found them to be beautiful little creatures. I love watching how they move about, or cock their heads to one side to look up at me! haha! I’m happy I discovered this site, and I wish all the best to you and your friends at the lab – thank you so much for the work you are doing there!
And HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF YOU!! 🙂
Michele Johnson
Dec 28, 2015 -
So glad you’ve found this website to be helpful, Deborah! And happy holidays to you!!
Deborah
Dec 24, 2015 -
Sorry, I didn’t word that well. I meant: I have begun misting the aquarium since reading here that lizards do not drink standing water. 🙂
Martha
Dec 30, 2015 -
I found a green lizard at the bottom of the stairs this evening when I came down and it appeared that my cat had brought it in and had injured it. It had no puncture wounds; however, was discolored in a few areas and was missing its tail. I held it for a while and transferred it into a small box and put the top on it with a crack for it to relax a while and was going to let it outside in the morning as it is very cold tonight and was afraid that the trauma plus the cold would be too much for it. I was just wondering if this is okay being in the dark box as I am not sure where else to place it until morning
Michele Johnson
Dec 30, 2015 -
Hi Martha – I’m sure the lizard is very stressed, and a warm, dark box is probably a relatively comfortable place for it to spend the night.
Katherine
Dec 30, 2015 -
Michele, I live north of Dallas, and we experienced flooding this past week. Our yard is still quite wet, with standing water everywhere. The night the storm came in, we found a very cold, still lizard clinging to our iron fence. The temps were dropping to the 30s. We brought him in and have kept him warm, fed, and watered. But I don’t really want to have a pet lizard. Since he can’t burrow into the ground, at what temperature would it be safe to release him?
Thanks for your help!
mjadmin
Dec 31, 2015 -
Hi Katherine – I’d suggest putting the lizard back outside during the warmest part of the day, and he should be able to find a good refuge on his own. Thanks for your comment!
L Susanne
Jan 9, 2016 -
Hello Michele, Thank you for the great article and your posts! Your recent entry is so timely for the situation I am in right now I wanted to share .., I have a new 6 month old aqua/green Iguana. and she is at her cage bottom aquarium/terrarium floor (heat light under that) just all day long glaring at me….she hasn’t been really as active as I think a little lizard should be? She also has not eaten much since I brought her home (a few smaaaalll bowls/pieces of lettuce/banana/sweet potato in a few days – very picky). She has UVB lighting/ for day but lighting is on at night in red and blue as well..she was awake pretty much last night… I am thinking she needs to have her cage dark to regulate her night/day pattern more realistically? Today she seems to be in a sleep/staring type mode Is it normal for lizard to zone with their eyes half closed (kinda angry glare too sometimes)? Reading your article seems to support what I suspected which is being Winter here in California, (I know not that cold to some!!), it is not generally the season for a lot of “lizard” activity..and they do prefer to lay and stay put where it’s warm? It is very cold outside and I do have her cage lit all night so last night she started glaring at me.. based upon your article do you think it is because lizards in general are not as active now and prefer /warming basking instead and do you think I have disrupted her night/day sleep schedule due to this lighting? Thank you so much in advance!
Michele Johnson
Jan 10, 2016 -
Hi Susanne, Thanks for your message. I don’t know very much about housing captive iguanas, so I’d suggest you search for other sources of information. Perhaps a local pet store could offer good advice! From your description, it does sound like your lizard’s sleep cycle has been disrupted, so changing the cage light cycle could be a reasonable place to start. Best, Michele
L Susanne
Jan 9, 2016 -
PS: I notice that you wanted a website address, I thought I would also tell you that I started group in Facebook called “Ladies who love Iguanas”.. I’d love for you to join if you like! Thanks again…
Luna
Jan 24, 2016 -
So I took my dog outside tonight and found a small anole upside down outside. Temperatures have been freezing and I’m in eastern North Carolina. I never see the lizards outside when it’s cold. I brought him inside and put him in a cage to see if he would warm back up and I could release him so he could find shelter again. It has been almost an hour and no movement.
Michele Johnson
Jan 26, 2016 -
Hi Luna – the lizard you found may have unfortunately already been dead when you found him. In very cold temperatures, the lizards who don’t take cover are quite vulnerable to the cold.
lanette
Jan 24, 2016 -
I have an iguana and 5 anoles. They love one another, when i wake up in the morning all the anoles are sleeping on the iguana. Lol its so cute, and she doesnt seem to mind. Is that normal? My mom said she would probably eat them, or act aggressive towards them.. But now im quarentining her for medical reasons and she really seems to miss them.. ??
Michele Johnson
Jan 26, 2016 -
Hi Lanette, This is an unusual behavior – in nature, you would never see lizards sleeping on top of one another like this. But, I have seen lizards sitting in unnatural piles in zoos when they are housed at high densities. This sounds similar to what you’re seeing in your pets. Iguanas and anoles aren’t very social animals; they would generally fight one another rather than hang out together. So, it sounds like what you’re seeing is the result of housing a lot of lizards in a relatively small space.
Peeler
Jan 24, 2016 -
We were bringing in plants two nights back here in central Florida, because of the approaching cold snap. About five minutes after we were done and back inside, my wife says “oh my goodness – i forgot!” and reaches in her pocket and pulls out a large lizard, one of the usual ones around our area, this guy is about 7 inches long. While she was gathering plants she saw him in the garden bed, laying belly up, still as could be, so she scooped him up and put him in her jacket pocket, and went back to bringing plants in.
By the time she remembered him, he had quite warmed up, she pulled him from her pocket, and let him loose in one of the ponytail palms on the shelf of plants. We keep it around 70 in here, and it turns out theres a bunch of smaller lizards (and bugs im sure) that came in with the plants, every so often we can hear one of them scurrying around in there. Probably a treat for them to be inside where its so warm.
They will all go back out with the plants in another day or 2. Although some seem to wander in the house from time to time anyhow, pretty normal for florida beachside.
Thought i’d share the short story here on this thread, it was pretty neat.
Michele Johnson
Jan 26, 2016 -
Hi Peeler, Thanks for sharing this! It sounds like fun to have lizards in your house plants!
Tresa
Jan 25, 2016 -
Found a lizard outside late.at night on the freezing concrete, mouth hanging open. Definitely near death. I put him in my pocket and put him in a breathable container, in which he finally closed his mouth and turned green again. I know they lie dormant when it’s cold. I tried putting him out today when it was in the mid 60s. He wasn’t having it. So I put him back in the container with some water. I don’t want him to die. What should I do?
Michele Johnson
Jan 26, 2016 -
Hi Tresa, Sometimes wild lizards just aren’t very healthy, and the lizard you found may be old or sick. Since your lizard was green, I’m guessing it might be a green anole, and those are relatively easy to keep as a pet if you want to hang onto this guy. Your local pet store would have the right kind of light (full spectrum UV bulb) and food (live crickets or mealworms), if you’re interested. Good luck!
Tamra klastow
Jan 29, 2016 -
Hi we live in Sth Florida. We just found a green baby lizard outside that is very sluggish, as its cold.
I have him in a box trying to warm him up. What should I do?
mjadmin
Jan 29, 2016 -
Hi Tamra – lizards move very little when they are cold, so the sluggishness of your lizard is to be expected. I’m sure he’ll be fine outdoors, as lizards can withstand short periods of cold weather. Thanks for caring about the animals around you!
Tyler Hutch
Feb 11, 2016 -
Hello, I know this may not be your area of expertise, but you seem knowledgeable. I am taking care of a Brown Anule( Cuban descent I am guessing). She warmed up to me quickly when she was near death and I warmed her with deep breaths and I am holding her until atleast winter ends. I love spoiling animals and I was wondering if you had any suggestions for a longer living friend if she makes it, I would love to get a buddy that will be more perminent than 4 years on average.
Michele Johnson
Feb 12, 2016 -
Hi Tyler – If you’re looking for a long-lived lizard that could be a good pet, you might consider a bearded dragon.
Christy Pugh
Feb 12, 2016 -
I live in eastern Tennessee on a southeast facing bluff. During warm weather it isn’t uncommon to have a lizard find it’s way into my bedroom to sun itself on the window sill. This winter was unseasonably warm until the beginning of the year. For the last month or so I have lived with what I believe to be a green anole as a roommate. I have little knowledge of reptiles and am unsure what to do to help it ride out the rest of winter. I have gotten kind of attached as we have spent so much time together. It seems to be much thinner and more sluggish. Any advice is appreciated.
Michele Johnson
Feb 15, 2016 -
Hi Christy, On another page of this site, we’ve provided directions for how to keep green anoles as pets. (See http://lizardsandfriends.org/#for-teachers, “How to keep green anoles as classroom pets.”) If you’d like to keep your lizard as a personal pet, you might find the advice there to be helpful!
Margie
Feb 14, 2016 -
So glad to have found this site. I discovered what I’m pretty sure is a female green anole sitting on my jacket in my basement this morning when I went to take my dog out. She let me pick her up pretty easily and didn’t try to get away so I was a little concerned she might be too cold or sick. Put her in a plastic salad container, punched some holes in the lid, and sat her in a safe place while I did some research. After finding this site and reading the article, comments, and your responses, I decided it would be best to release her back outside. She had started to turn a little more green from the brown she was when I first discovered her, and was much more lively as well, so I think she just got a little cold and sought out a warmer space. Anyhow, thanks for this page and all the great information! I’m in Atlanta, Georgia by the way, so I’m glad to know they can adapt to our winters.
Michele Johnson
Feb 15, 2016 -
Hi Margie, Thanks for your comments! I’m glad you found this site to be useful, and it sounds like your lizard will be just fine.
Tom
Mar 1, 2016 -
My grandson is doing a science project in school (5th grade) on lizards. He wants to do a chart on how far a lizard moves when the lizard goes from cold to warmer. He plans on placing a lizard under a UV lamp. Any suggestions?
Michele Johnson
Mar 2, 2016 -
Hi Tom, This sounds like an interesting project! There are many ways to conduct this kind of project, and I’m not sure which version you’re describing. You might be suggesting that your grandson is going to warm or cool the lizard to different temperatures, and then measure how much it moves around. Or you might be suggesting that he’ll be doing a temperature preference test, using a range of temperatures and seeing where the lizard decides to sit. Either would give results that help your grandson understand how temperature affects lizard movement.
Natalie
Mar 14, 2016 -
Hello I have a question. Yesterday I was throwing piles of wood away that were in my backyard. My dog was with me and was hunting for something but I didn’t know what he was looking for. So I pick up a piece of wood and my dog snatches something under the wood. I see he had a lizard in his mouth so I instantly take it out of his mouth. I look at the lizard and he had a little injury in his belly. It was kind of red. I know this is dumb but I didn’t know what to do so I put a bit of healing ointment in his belly. Then I put the lizard in a different pile of wood that I wasn’t going to clean up. When I came back from school (following day) I went to were the pile of wood I left him. He was still there. Ants were going up his body. He wasn’t moving. I thought he was dead. Then he moved his arm. I grabbed him and took the ants off him. Then I put him in a much larger pile of wood but he wouldn’t move. So I put him in a shoe box and took him inside my house. I watched him and he is very active in the shoe box. What do I do with him? ( please answer I need help)
Michele Johnson
Mar 14, 2016 -
Hi Natalie, I suspect the injury to the lizard made him vulnerable to the attack by the ants. Minor injuries in wild lizards usually heal quickly, and I suspect if you can spray a little water on something so that the lizard can lick the droplets (most lizards won’t drink standing water), it’ll be just fine in a couple of days. You could feed it a few small live insects if you want, but for a couple of days it will be fine with no food. Once it’s had a chance to rest, I suspect it will be fine back at the woodpile!
Natalie
Mar 14, 2016 -
Thank you so much for the advice Michele I’m pretty sure he will be fine. Thank you
Natalie
Mar 14, 2016 -
It is also cold outside
Erika
Mar 22, 2016 -
Hello. I love in central Florida and I have a tiny pond in my backyard with feeder goldfish and occasionally I’ll find our yard lizards (green and brown) floating motionless on top of the water and I’ll take them out. Yesterday the temp was in the 50s-60s and two lizards were completely gray in the water. I scooped them out and put them in the sun to warm up. My question is, why do they keep floating like that? Should I leave them (are the catching surface bugs)?
Michele Johnson
Mar 22, 2016 -
Hi Erika, what an interesting observation. I’m really not sure what the lizards are doing in the water, although if they’re “floating,” they are likely to be dead. Do you have a cat who might kill the lizards and drop them near the water? I’ve never seen lizards in the USA jumping into water for food, or drowning themselves. This is curious!
Erika
Mar 22, 2016 -
Nope, they are alive, just floating on the surface. No cats, but a dog who likes to chase them up the fence. I’ll see them running around the inside of the container and I thought they might be falling in and can’t get out. They have done this about a dozen times and I’ve never found a dead one. Strange. I’ll keep fishing them out. 🙂
Barb
Apr 3, 2016 -
I love the anoles we have in our garden, but our garden just got bigger and I would like to have more anoles to eat the bugs. Where can I buy more? All I see is anoles for pets to be kept inside, thats not what I want….I want more for our garden. Any suggestions? I live in Texas
Michele Johnson
Apr 3, 2016 -
I’m not sure that you can purchase local lizards to “seed” your garden with, but if you’re in the southeastern corner of Texas and you have a relatively wetter yard (i.e., no xeriscaping) and no cats, I suspect anoles will come to you on their own! It may take a few months, but if they’re in your area I expect they’ll make it to your yard. (Catching anoles elsewhere in your neighborhood and moving them to your garden is unlikely to work, though, since there’s evidence that anoles “home” – when moved, they find their way back to their home territory.)
Zach
Apr 25, 2016 -
There is a lizard just standing outside the front door of my house, not moving at all but flinches when touched. Also a chunk of what looks like another lizards tail is sitting a few inches from the lizard. Was wondering if you had ever heard of this?
Michele Johnson
Apr 25, 2016 -
Hi Zach – it sounds as though you may be seeing the results of a violent lizard fight (many lizards are territorial and will fight to protect their territories), or perhaps more likely, an attack by a cat.
Nino
May 23, 2016 -
when is it easy to catch the lizard in summer or winter and why?:)
Michele Johnson
May 24, 2016 -
Hi Nino, It’s usually easier to find lizards in the summer, because many species are more active in the warmer months (summer is often the time that they are breeding). But if you were to find a lizard in colder weather, it would probably be very easy to catch, because cold lizards move very slowly!
Simon W
Jul 6, 2016 -
Hi Michele
I live in Perth Australia. 4 months ago my 9 year old daughter caught a small female ground skink & adopted it. The lizard seemed to be thriving for the first 3 months in Autumn but died on the 28th June 2016.
We thought that the lizard had gone into hibernation, but it is actually referred to brumation. We kept the lizard in a small tank with about an inch & a half of dirt in the bottom of the tank. The lizard was very active in Autumn & we fed it a cricket every third day from the pet shop. We kept a small cap of water in the tank & we lightly sprayed the tank with water every few days.
Unfortunately we did not have much experience with reptiles & did not provide a heating rock or lamp for the lizard. On the 28 June 2016 we checked on the lizard & to our dismay it had died. It had been spending its time burrowed under the soil & we had only seen the lizard once, about a week & half before, when it surfaced one evening. We gave it a feed of cooked chicken & banana & a small drink of water. The lizard was standing lengthwise in the tank on top of the soul with its head tilted looking up as if it was looking up at us as it had done many times before.
I was wondering if you had any ideas why it died? Our winters are not as cold as the US & it lived 28 days into winter & seemed happy & thrived in Autumn. Perhaps it was old. Is there any way to determine or estimate the age of the lizard. How long do ground skinks live for?
I was very disappointed that the lizard had died & wished I had taken the time & made more effort to care for it. I will not be taking any more lizards from the wild, as there are too many variables that can lead to their death. It was a good pet to our family & we miss Lizzie.
Thanks
Simon W
mjadmin
Jul 6, 2016 -
Hi Simon, Thanks for your note! It sounds to me like you provided reasonably good care for your pet skink, and I can’t see anything in particular that indicates your care was related to its death. Wild skinks usually don’t live longer than about 2 years, and the best way we have to judge the age of adults is by their size (although this is extremely imprecise). Your family’s skink could have developed a disease in captivity, it could have received insufficient nutrients for its particular dietary needs, or it could have just been old and would have died soon even if it had been in the wild. I agree that the best thing to do is generally to leave wild animals in the wild, although I also know that pets can help inspire us to learn more about the natural world in important ways! Thanks for your care and your interest.
Best,
Michele
Simon W
Jul 6, 2016 -
I did not explain part of my post very well above. When we found the lizard dead it was standing lengthwise in the tank on top of the soil with its head tilted looking upwards.
Eliza
Jul 28, 2016 -
Can you please help me? I live in Florida & a smallish Gecko is trapped in my apt. now for about 3 days. I failed twice to catch him with a net & I am worried about him/her. I need the A/C on & the gecko is hiding somewhere in here. Should I turn off the A?C to help it & if so, for how long ?? This is now an emergency for the little guy!
mjadmin
Jul 28, 2016 -
Hi Eliza, I think the lizard will run away if it’s bothered by the AC. It’s most likely a Mediterranean house gecko, an invasive species commonly found in our houses. I expect he’ll find his way out!
Eliza
Jul 29, 2016 -
Thank you, MJadmin! He was originally in the kitchen, but ran behind some boxes when I tried to catch him with a net. I then found him in my room 2 days later when I opened the door ( he went under the door to get in there). I left & got the net & returned. I had him under the net, but as I was trying to hold the bottom of the net with him above that part & inside the net, he wriggled & flew out of it so fast & hid among some boxes nearby that are too heavy for me to move. I don’t know how he’ll find his way out of this place. I don’t see any ways, but maybe there is a way out. I’d leave the front door open, but I can’t here in Fl. in the summer, as I guess you know, too. I feel like I failed it; that I was inept with the net. I also feel bad that I was playing an old Ronette’s song a little loudly – ( “When I Saw You”) the first time I saw him – heading into the bedroom – on the 2nd day! & what turned out to be my apparent last chance to capture & release him. ( I guess he didn’t like the song! Poor little guy; I should have been quiet in here). I hope you are right, though! Maybe he’ll survive & get outside again -on day #4. Thanks for your encouragement, either way!
Chester
Aug 1, 2016 -
Eliza
Have you tried a shoe box with a couple of crickets in it . Cut out the top of the lid and cover it cellophane wrap with a slice in the center . Lizards can not climb on cellophane.
Eliza
Aug 3, 2016 -
Thank you, Chester! I will try your idea. I just hope the crickets won’t attract a roach or “Palmetto Bug” ? I saw him 2 days ago by a night-light, but he took off again & I couldn’t find him. I guess you mean a couple of live crickets from a pet store. I really appreciate the help!
Brenda
Aug 4, 2016 -
I have a lizard in my home. He is black and hiding. I would very much like for him to leave. What can I do. I’m afraid of all of them.
Michele Johnson
Aug 4, 2016 -
Hi Brenda, With such little information, I can’t offer much advice. But, a small black lizard couldn’t possibly harm you. If it’s living in your home, it’s likely eating small spiders and other insects, so a thorough cleaning would probably make your home a less inviting habitat for the lizard. I’m sure it would rather be outside too, and I suspect it will likely find its way back there. Good luck!
Amanda
Aug 5, 2016 -
I live in western West Virginia. This morning (still dark but warm out) i found what looked like markings of a baby bearded dragon, but with little research i found what i think it is….a fence lizard. Its about an inch and a half long not including tail. Tail is about another inch and a half or two. He was sitting on my metal threshhold between the screen door and house door. I brought him in worried he was not well because he was not really moving. He just sat on my hand. He moved much faster when i put him in a open container while i tried to figure out what to do for him. I want ro release him (would love to try to raise as a pet but we no longer have a tank or lights and cant afford new). Where do i let him go because i read that they are social and need to be put back where they are found. So do i put him back on my second story porch or do i take him behind my house to the trees, rocks, and creek area? I really appreciate your time 🙂
Amanda
Aug 5, 2016 -
Nevermind. I got him outside 🙂
Jo
Aug 16, 2016 -
Every time I see an anole lizard, I notice that it’s looking at me, so I look back. This happens so much that I’ve started talking to them while we look at each other and I stand still and talk to them as long as I have time. They never, ever leave first. Are they feeling friendly towards me or are they just too scared of me to move?
Michele Johnson
Aug 16, 2016 -
Hi, Jo. Your lizard may be curious, or it may be scared – it’s hard to tell! Anoles are territorial, so they are usually pretty hesitant to run away from space that they “own.”
Eliza
Aug 20, 2016 -
I was sitting outside & eating a sandwich when a Curly-Tailed lizard came right up in front of me & stood there, just watching me. I talked to him a bit & not knowing yet what they eat, I took a bread crumb & laid it down right in front of him/her. The fella looked at it, picked it up, tasted it, laid it back down, then looked up at me & continued to stay there, just watching me eat. Eventually, I got up & went back inside, but first apologizing to the lizard for not having anything to share with him! I know they are an invasive species, but I love them, too! By the way, I never was able to capture & release the little gecko in my apt. I followed Chester’s advise (above), but he didn’t fall for it. I played cricket sounds on You Tube at night to no avail. Last time I saw him was on August 15th. Hope he’s doing OK & that I’ll be able to guide him out the door one day soon –the only way he can get outside again, I think. (Walking around with a flashlight at night; don’t want to step on him!).
Michele Johnson
Aug 22, 2016 -
It sounds like you have a lot of fun with your lizards, Eliza! I expect your little gecko is probably doing just fine – they are quite good at hiding, and at fending for themselves.
Eliza
Aug 24, 2016 -
Michele, you’ve helped me feel much better about ‘my’ little gecko; I am very grateful that you share your wonderful knowledge of lizards with me & with others. We can learn important information here. (I had a dream on Aug. 19th that I was guiding him to a sunny window to let him out, but in my former house. Because of other details in that short dream, I became worried, though, thinking that maybe he had ‘crossed over to the Light’ ! Unfortunately, I have often had psychic dreams & premonitions, so that added to my worry!). I just wish I had known what I’ve learned since I first saw him/her, but at least now I have a better understanding of them & will just let him ‘be’. I still hope my little dream comes true in that I will just lead him to the way out — if indeed he wants to go back outside, of course ! Thanks again for the help I’ve received here on your valuable site. Eliza (Florida)
Michele Johnson
Aug 25, 2016 -
Thanks for the update. I’m so glad you’ve found this site to be helpful, Eliza!
Eliza
Dec 2, 2016 -
Hi, Michele! It’s just me wanting to let you know that my little Gecko friend (I named it”Ronny”) made an appearance again after a long time still inside and then left, shortly after I’d had another dream in which Ronny was lying on top of the kitchen sink faucet, just watching me as I was working there. I knew in the dream that Ronny was not afraid of me anymore and s/he just stayed there, quite near me. Then, I understood in the dream that Ronny was mentally telling me that s/he understood that I love and only wanted to help her/him outside again! Well, to my amazement, Ronny actually did show up again ( by the way, while I was listening to another one of The Ronettes’ 1965 songs, this time one called “Paradise” 🙂 ! Noticed that Ronny’s rare appearances coincided with when that group’s songs were playing, but don’t know if due to like or dislike of it! 🙂 Michelle, that dream was prophetic, for I saw ‘my’ little Gecko on that faucet in October or November and after a little while, s/he climbed ‘casually’ up to a hole that I had made in a window screen for her/him to escape through in August. (I couldn’t coax her/him through it that time and had to close the window). Well, Ronny paused, looked back at me and went through the hole to freedom, at last! ( I hope that I will meet up with Ronny in”Paradise” someday! 🙂 I loved that little creature.
Ja
Mar 26, 2017 -
Umm I have a question last summer there was this baby green anole that was dieing so I nursed it back to health and it disappeared in winter (I’m was expecting it to leave to hibernate or somthing)and this morning (now it’s spring) I found a grown green anole on my Porch could it be the same anole?and if it is will it remember me (plz answer)
Michele Johnson
Mar 26, 2017 -
It is possible that this is the same lizard, but there’s no way to know for sure. A hatchling from last summer should be about the size of an adult female now (its body, without the tail, would be about 2-2.5 inches long), so if you’re seeing a very large male, it’s probably not the same. I don’t think the lizard could remember you, but we don’t yet know much about how reptiles form memories. I’m glad you have anoles in your yard to enjoy!
Jahaira
Aug 29, 2016 -
I believe we found a baby Eastern Fence Lizard, this is the first time we have seen a lizard in TN so we got really excited and decided to keep it. However I am not sure if keeping this lizard is legal or not, and if it is, what all do I need to keep him happy and healthy in his new home? right now he is in a little plastic container 12 in by 5 in I added some small crushed up rocks and sand, pieces of wood, a few leaves, and had the kids capture a few bugs like crickets, rolly pollies, and ants, we are currently keeping hi out side where is humid and warm. Would he need a bigger place? Thank you!
Michele Johnson
Aug 29, 2016 -
Hi Jahaira – I think it’s legal to keep lizards that you’ve found on private property, but I’m not an expert on wildlife laws in Tennessee, so don’t take my word for it. To keep your lizard healthy, it needs live bugs like crickets or mealworms (both of which you can buy at a pet store – along with calcium/phosphorus powder you should dust the food with), but most lizards don’t eat crustaceans like roly polies. You shouldn’t house it with very small rocks that it could mistakenly eat when it catches a bug – the lizard’s gut could become impacted. And if you’re keeping the lizard for long, you’ll need to make sure it has both UVA and UVB light. Sunlight has both, and you can buy special bulbs at pet stores for this. You can see more info on keeping lizards as pets at http://lizardsandfriends.org/#for-teachers, where the first link is for a document that describe how to keep classroom pet lizards. Good luck!
Mary-Ann
Aug 31, 2016 -
I am in Canada. I always let my 2 rescued iguanas out to bask in my backyard in the summer months. Summers are short here. They usually sit and bask for hours without moving. I recently acquired a puppy mill rescue dog and it freaked out my male iguana. I had a smaller dog before that he was fine with. Long story short when I took my eyes off the iguanas for a few minutes my male escaped. I think he ran away from home because of the dog. Previously he never made an escape attempt. Once he did climb on my gate which is 6 feet high to bask. Within 10 minutes he was gone. I gathered a group and we started searching immediately. We never found him.
It has been 2 1/2 weeks and there has been no sign anywhere. People have been helping me search. He has been on all local news reports and yet we cannot find him. We are having unusually cool weather and of course within a few more weeks it could start to frost at night. How long can he survive?
It is possible someone has him. I have put up a large reward to entice someone to come forward and no leads there either. I am beside myself with fear for him and immense guilt. What are his chances and when is the cold too cold for him to make it?
Michele Johnson
Aug 31, 2016 -
Hi Mary-Ann. I’m so sorry to hear about your iguana. I’m not sure how long he can survive outdoors, but it sounds like you’re doing all you can to find him. I wish I had more advice to offer. Best of luck to you all!
Jackie
Sep 28, 2016 -
Hi I found a lizard in my yard in St. Aqustine FL and my puppy got to a lizard. It was still breathing when I help it by putting its intestine’s back in plac (Ewww right) But I just need to know if lizards go into a deep sleep when really injured (Like broken leg (ec.t) injured). Please replly ASAP
=C
Michele Johnson
Sep 29, 2016 -
Hi Jackie, Sadly, it sounds like your lizard experienced quite a trauma. I’m glad you tried to help the little guy, but wild animals may not be able to recover from such serious injuries. However, they’re also really tough, and I’ve seen lizards recover from a lot. To answer your specific question, no, lizards don’t go into a deep sleep when they’re injured. Best wishes!
sheila dalton
Oct 1, 2016 -
Greetings,
Today I was sweeping leaves and I swept a Spiny Lizard pretty hard, against a curb. He has a small head injury, and was running sideways away from me.
I’m in Tx, and it was about 65 out when I did this.. I caught him, because I didn’t think he was gonna live, being injured and all. NOW I don’t know what to do with him.
He won’t move, and has his head cocked to one side, but I can move it, so I don’t think it’s broke. He seems to sleep a lot.
I have him in a small, open container, with a little dirt, and some dried leaves. He has made no effort to get out. I have also found some small grubs, and dribbled some water on some of the leaves.
I put him outside in the sun, and he rolled over, on his back (which is the most he’s moved). I figured that wasn’t natural, so I brought him in, and have him in indirect sunlight, and have been rotating towels, fresh out of the dryer, over half of his container.
I’ll go check on him, and he opens his eyes….
What do I do with this little guy?? Help!
T.I.A. Sheila.
Michele Johnson
Oct 1, 2016 -
Hi Shelia, It sounds like you’re doing all you can for this little guy. It’s tough to see an animal injured, but you’ve given him light, warmth, food, and water. I think now you’ll have to wait to see if he can recover, as I can’t think of anything else you might do to help. Best of luck!
Kendall
Oct 6, 2016 -
Hello! I live in Raleigh, NC and every night for the past week or two the same little lizard shows up on the same leaf of the vine that wraps around the pillar on our front patio. As time has gone by, it appears more and more comfy. Originally it looked tense, ready to run at any moment, eyes would open if I came near. Now it always looks relaxed. Tonight it is completely sprawled out across the leaf, like a comfy dog, and it doesn’t react when I get near. I love this little guy! And, cheesy as it may sound, I hate the idea of it not being there anymore as it gets colder outside! Is there anything I can do to “encourage” it to keep coming around as it gets cold? Some form of warm habitat I can make for it? I thought of bringing it inside but decided it’s probably best to let it stay in its natural environment instead of confining it to a small space like an aquarium. Am I wrong? Would it appreciate the cozy winter lodging? Any suggestions on how to keep our little green friend cozy in the winter so he’ll stick around? Thank you!
Kendall
Oct 6, 2016 -
By the way, I think it is a green anole.
Michele Johnson
Oct 7, 2016 -
Hi Kendall, Your interactions with this lizard sound so fun! It seems likely to me that the relaxed look your lizard has had lately might be because it is too cool to be “alert.” I suspect he’s not relaxed as much as he is cold. I don’t know of a way to encourage him to hang around as it gets colder, because he’ll ultimately try to find a safe place to hide until it warms up in the spring. (Lizards don’t hibernate, but they are pretty inactive during the winter in places like NC.) And while having pets can be a lot of fun, you’re right that it’s usually best for wild animals to stay outdoors. The good news is that anoles are territorial, and I would expect you might see him in the same place again next spring!
Sudesh Batuwita
Oct 7, 2016 -
Hi Mechele,
Cool explanation! And great idea. We have to concentrate our lab work and manuscript preparation.And coffee!
Thank you so much,
Sudesh
Dexi
Oct 25, 2016 -
Hi! I have recently been gifted twi loepard geckos, but i cant keep them inside, I live in centeral Alabama and would like to know how to keep them warm and safe.
Michele Johnson
Oct 26, 2016 -
Hi Dexi, Leopard geckos aren’t native to Alabama, and so they shouldn’t be allowed to live outside there. (They won’t be safe outside, and they could cause native animals to be unsafe.) If you aren’t able to keep them inside, I would recommend finding a pet shelter that would take them.
isabella
Nov 21, 2016 -
hello,I have a brown anole as a pet. I keep it on my patio.(I live in florida) It’s fall and it’s getting pretty chilly outside in the mornings and at night. I’m not sure if he’s getting too cold. I didn’t see him yesterday, but today I found him tucked under a leaf. What do you think I can do to keep him warmer when the temperature drops to the 40s-50s????? (when its later in the day, the the temperature goes higher to the 70s-80s)
thank you
isabella
Nov 21, 2016 -
by the way, i’m sort of in a rush for this please reply soon Michele!!!!!!!
thank you
Michele Johnson
Nov 22, 2016 -
Hi Isabella, Brown anoles are surprisingly hardy. They are invasive lizards that manage to survive some relatively extreme (for anoles) weather, and I expect your lizard will be ok as long as the temps don’t get below freezing. If you’re particularly worried, you could bring it indoors when it’s very cold. Or, you could also use a heating pad for the lizard tank (Zoo Med sells many varieties – you could find them online or in a pet store).Best of luck!
isabella
Nov 22, 2016 -
thank you Michele. but i still have two questions,if i take my anole inside,should i put a lamp over the tank so it can get the rays that it needs?Also, do i need a humidity machine when i take my lizard inside when its cold?
thank you
Michele Johnson
Nov 22, 2016 -
Yes, if you keep a lizard indoors, you should put a full-spectrum (with UVA and UVB) bulb over its cage during the daytime. But I wouldn’t worry about a humidity machine outside for a lizard that came from outside.
Kelly
Nov 27, 2016 -
Hi
I found what I believe to be a western fence lizard on my patio. It was raining and cold outside and he was just sitting in the rain.
When I picked him up he hardly moved and was lethargic. He was dark in color and was cold.
I brought him inside and warmed him up with a heat rock.
What I have noticed is he is has a left head tilt and seems to be circling left as well
He mostly just sits there but if touched will start to circle left and sometimes twitches his tail.
Hasn’t opened left eye, sometimes opens right.
Have had 24 hours it has not attempted to eat or drink.
Is he doomed or have some sort of crippling vestibular disease?
Any info is appreciated thanks.
Michele Johnson
Nov 27, 2016 -
Hi Kelly, I expect that the lizard you found is probably already sick, or I doubt it would have been sitting in the cold rain. It sounds like you’ve given him wonderful treatment. I hope he pulls through, but I don’t know of anything else you might do, besides spraying his cage with water and offering small (live) insects to eat. Thanks for caring about this animal!
Kristen
Dec 1, 2016 -
Hi Michelle,
I’ve got a Texas Spiny lizard that has decided to camp out on the screen that goes with my sliding glass door. We’ve had some cold nights and I was afraid he was somehow stuck and/or dying. However, the temps warmed up this past weekend and the critter ventured over to the middle of the screen, hung out a bit, and then headed right back to the far side again. I’m concerned that a) he can’t figure out how to get out from between the screen and glass door, and/or b) we’re expecting freezing temperatures late next week and I’m not sure if he will be protected enough from the cold. I realize there’s heat radiating through the door, but is it enough considering he’s exposed to the north/northwest winds? I hate to disturb him, but I will if it helps him to survive. Thanks in advance!
Michele Johnson
Dec 2, 2016 -
Hi Kristen, Texas spiny lizards are such beautiful animals! If your lizard is stuck in the door, it would probably help him if you could get him out. Or, he might like the perch he’s found on the door, and is sitting there because he prefers it. Without seeing the situation directly, it’s hard for me to guess, but I do expect he’s colder by sitting on the glass door than he would be by burrowing under a rock.
Concerned
Dec 1, 2016 -
I live in Central Fl. and a small common brown lizard got into my house and I have seen him in my bathroom several times but can’t catch him. What can I feed him until I can catch him so that he will not die?
Michele Johnson
Dec 2, 2016 -
Your lizard is probably a brown anole lizard. These lizards are very skilled at finding the food they need to survive, and I expect there are little spiders and bugs in places that you don’t see in your home. (I know there are in mine!) I think the lizard will be just fine running around inside your home until you can capture him and let him go outside.
Becca
Dec 8, 2016 -
Currently there is a lizard hibernating on my vanity. He doesn’t bother me but he looks so thin. Should I bring him water or food?
Michele Johnson
Dec 8, 2016 -
Hi Becca, I’m not sure what you might do for this lizard. It’s not easy to offer a lizard food or water indoors (without being in a cage), as most lizards only eat live food. I would trust the lizard’s own instincts for survival. (And if I could catch the lizard, I’d put it outdoors.)
Becca
Dec 9, 2016 -
Thanks so much. I will try to catch him. I just know he Thame into my house because it was warm but I don’t want him to die
Austin
Dec 13, 2016 -
Hi Michele,
Quick question:
Do lizards seek out cold places during winter time (I live in Southern California so it doesn’t get too cold) to make their body shut down for the winter time? There is a lizard in my backyard who keeps moving to the cold bricks and the pavement even though they are quite a bit colder than the flower beds that i place him back in.Its quite odd because i thought he would try to stay warm and burrow in the dirt or hid under a plant but he’s just laying on cold bricks. When he does this, a couple of times i thought it was dead when i picked him up but after a few seconds it opened its eyes and seemed slightly alert. Thanks!
Michele Johnson
Dec 13, 2016 -
Hi Austin, I’m not sure how to explain what this lizard is doing. Perhaps it’s trying to bask by lying on the bricks?
Betty
Dec 18, 2016 -
Hi michele!
I live in south Florida,recently moved here from Michigan in 2015 and I hate lizards. I’ve been doing a pretty good job of keeping them out the house but one very small lizard made his way in the house one day when I open the door to come inside. I crank the air condition up temp went down to 69 4 days. I saw him again yesterday after 1 and a half wks. How many days should the air conditioner be cranked up and how cold should it be? (temperature wise)before lizard dies?
Michele Johnson
Dec 18, 2016 -
Hi Betty, The small lizards in south Florida can’t harm you (or anything in your home) in any way – while you may consider them to be a nuisance, they aren’t any threat to you at all. And, keeping your home so cool sounds uncomfortable for you, but it won’t affect the lizard. In fact, I expect the lizards would be just fine at much cooler temperatures (since it does get cooler outside). I recommend that keep your home comfortable for you, and the lizard will find its way outside eventually.
Betty
Dec 19, 2016 -
Lol…..Michele, I see you feel I should preserve the life of this lizard but we differ in opinion . My house is lizard sealed tight ! Only way a lizard can enter my home is through the door he stumbled in when I opened it . I doubt if he finds another way out. You are right about me being uncomfortable with the air conditioning being cranked up but I will deal with that if it will make the lizard less mobile and eventually die.It was gray in color when it came into my house and appeared to be whitish when I saw it on friday. What does that mean? He went under my stove . I sprayed under the stove and under and
around the base boards with pine sol as well as raid ant and roach spray.
Betty
Dec 20, 2016 -
The lizard that came into my house was gray in color and appeared to be whitish when I saw it on friday. What does that mean? Can you recommend anything else that will kill this lizard?
Michele Johnson
Dec 20, 2016 -
Hi Betty, there are many reasons why lizards may change colors (or appear to change colors), and I can’t determine much from your description. The purpose of this website is to help children and other members of the public learn about lizards, and I won’t offer advice on how to kill them. You might enjoy the other pages of this blog, which would help you better understand these fascinating creatures.
Nina
Dec 28, 2016 -
Hi, today I was given a small (and probably young) lizard which was captivated in the building in a city (Tbilisi, Georgia country) because they thought it would freeze outside.
Now I have it in a tank warm at home but generally would rather let it go free..
so do you think it is safe to let young small lizard go live on its own outside (thinking of a park nearby) in cold winter.
OR should i keep it before it matures and weather becomes warmer (now its 7C to -10C)?
this is the lizard probably: (Cyrtopodion caspium) https://www.google.ge/search?q=Cyrtopodion+caspium&biw=1920&bih=984&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi4hdu5yJfRAhVJvBQKHZzVB5UQ_AUICCgB
If letting go is ok, is there anything I can do to make his freedom easier?
Thanks in advance & Merry Christmas! 🙂
Michele Johnson
Dec 28, 2016 -
Hi Nina, Cool lizard! If your identification is correct, this is a lizard that commonly lives on and around buildings, and I think you could let it go near the building where you live. I think it is safe to release the lizard outside, because lizards usually know how to keep themselves warm enough to survive through cold weather. Merry Christmas to you too!
Maryann Lepper
Jan 8, 2017 -
Hello
The temperatures dropped here in the panhandle of Florida recently. We were packing our Christmas items away in my house, and my younger son noticed this anole sleeping on his Charlie Brown Christmas tree branch. I would have never noticed it.
I guess he decide to settled down for a winters nap, but I would love to pack the tree away. I have so many lizards and tree frogs around my house. It’s too cold to release him outside, and my garage is very cold too.
I’m not sure what to do because I don’t want him to leave the tree and get trapped in the house. Do they move slowly during the winter. I was told that reptiles really don’t go into full hibernation in warmer climates. Would it be cruel to place the tree on a shelf in the garage until spring or when the temperature is warmer? I know he can find bugs and get out.
Thank you
My boys want to keep the lizard- nope.
Michele Johnson
Jan 8, 2017 -
Hi Maryann, It wouldn’t be cruel to leave this little lizard on its own, outside or in your garage. Anoles are native to Florida, and they have evolved defenses against the occasional cold temperatures that occur in winter. I expect it will be almost non-moving until the temperatures warm up a bit, and you’re correct that it will be able to find its own food and get out when it wants to.
Hunter
Jan 14, 2017 -
I had green anoles that laid three eggs and none hatched I had a light on them and they were warm why didn’t they hatch
Michele Johnson
Jan 14, 2017 -
Hi Hunter, It can be difficult to raise anole eggs, and there are many reasons they may not have hatched. The eggs your anole laid may not have been fertilized eggs, or they may have become too dry and died before hatching. (When we’re working with anole eggs, we keep them in moist soil or vermiculite to give the eggs the water they need to grow.) Or, they may have not been at the right temperature for them to grow well. Or, if the eggs were moved or shaken, the embryo inside could have been injured. If you’d like to know more, I could offer you more detailed instructions for raising anole eggs to hatching.
Susan Barlow
Jan 22, 2017 -
I found a baby green garden lizard on my front porch frozen due to a quick drop in tempetature. He was black in color with a gash on his side. Thinking he wasn’t going to survive, I brought him indoors anyhow, placed him in a box with tree branches & put a heating pad under neath half of the box. He began turning green in color & was very frisky. Yay! My hubby went to Pet Smart & purchased tiny crickets for him to eat. When the temperature warmed up, I placed him out where I found him on a bench with a fern plant, water bowl & the remainder of his crickets. This was 2 weeks ago. I see him every day. He’s healed nicely. We are getting ready to have freezing weather again. Should I bring him indoors since he’s so young or is he okay staying outdoors?? Your advice is appreciated.
Michele Johnson
Jan 22, 2017 -
Hi Susan, Congrats on the full recovery of your little lizard friend! I expect that the lizard should be ok outdoors, as long as it isn’t in a cage (I can’t quite tell from your description). Lizards are generally adapted to the natural weather conditions where they live, and they can usually find refuges that allow them to get through the cold temperatures of winter (although extreme temperatures may be more than they can handle). I generally recommend that it’s best to leave wild animals in wild conditions, but if you chose to bring him in, it sounds like you know how to take good care of captive lizards.
Susan Barlow
Jan 23, 2017 -
Thanks for your reply. He is free outdoors…no cage. I saw him earlier today soaking up the sun. I’ll heed your advice & leave him outdoors where he belongs unless we get freezing temps. Then I think I’ll have to bring him Indoors until weather warms again. Really do appreciate your advice. So glad that I came across your site googling lizards. This is my first dealing with a lizard & I must say most enjoyable. 🙂
Diana
Feb 2, 2017 -
Hi, Michelle – Thank you for your website. Your answers are very helpful.
I found a lizard a week+ ago who looked gray with cold. (California 2,000 feet elevation near ocean – can freeze here )) He was moving more like my memories of a salamander – i.e., throwing a left leg forward and swinging his body sideways and then his right leg, etc. plus acting as though each foot was sticking to the ground. I brought him back to the house and thawed him out over night. He was normal the next day.
Before I returned him outdoors, I made a small home for him from one of those small U.S. mailing boxes. (I didn’t detect any toxic smell). After cutting two escape holes, I stuffed it with a very cozy ski cap and lined up some flies at the end with veggies/fruits. Then I prodded him through the hole and stuck the box into a rectangular flat plastic water container (repels water) open at one end. Over that, i inverted my cat’s old litter box that’s lower at one end (but high when inverted) Then I stuffed it all under the bushes near where I found him and secured it with a large rock lest winter winds have their way. It’s the best wild lizard hideout west of the Rockies! Or at least a contender!
I check on him every four days or so and he’s been fine. But yesterday,(third check) he didn’t look well – I put him out on the earth. He just stood there – not moving with all the food in front of him. Even when I left for a few minutes and came back.Same position. No, he wasn’t cold. He’s a little thinner, as well.
Question: Is it necessary to have light in the box? Because he’s in total darkness. Also, water: you said it has to drip down the side of a window. This isn’t going to work where he is. I haven’t been leaving water but this time left it in an inverted bottle top.
The SPCA said they’d check him out but that’s quite a ways away and I’m not sure I’d
be doing him any favor. (I’m also in the process of putting my home up for sale as well
as submitting a book for publication. However, I’ll take him there if you think I should.
Thanks for taking your valuable time. The lizard and I both appreciate it. By the way, I’ve been thinking of this lizard as a male and it just occurred to me that maybe it’s a female. Is it easy to tell?
I hope all is well with you and I wish you a beautiful year.
Pura Vida,
Diana
Michele Johnson
Feb 2, 2017 -
Hi Diana, This sounds like a really great home for the lizard! Since he can get out if he wants to, I wouldn’t worry much about access to light and water – if he needs it, he’ll go in search of it. (As to whether it’s male or female, since I don’t know what species it is, I can’t say for sure what markings to look for, etc. But if there are two clear bulges on the underside of the tail, those are his penes, and he’s a boy.) It’s possible that your lizard was sick when you found him, and that your help has given him a little longer to survive. I don’t think I’d recommend taking him to a vet, as there’s usually nothing a vet can do for a small reptile like this. I’m not sure what else to suggest, since your care sounds top-notch! Best, Michele
Diana
Feb 3, 2017 -
Thank you for taking the time to answer, Michelle. I wish you many happy lizard loving days! Diana
Diana
Feb 3, 2017 -
Thank you for your input, Michelle. I wish you many happy lizard loving days! Diana
Mike hopkins
Feb 24, 2017 -
My wife found a skink in the parking lot at work. The temp is 31 degrees. It’s alive but barely moving. What should I do to ensure the little guy survives?
Michele Johnson
Feb 26, 2017 -
Hi Mike, Lizards are generally well-adapted to the range of temperatures that naturally occur outdoors, so while the lizard that you found was quite cold, it would probably be fine until warmer weather if it’s placed by a bush or in other vegetation. As you’ll see in the other comments on this post, cold lizards are slow lizards, because their metabolism dramatically slows as temperatures go down. And, sometimes lizards get sick or injured, and they may not survive extreme conditions. Thanks for doing what you can! Best, Michele
Heather
Mar 4, 2017 -
Hi there…my daughter just fished a lizard out of our pool. Bless her heart, she is working hard to save this guy. We now have him in the house, in aN old fish tank with the light on. We are trying to warm him up by using indirect, warm air from a hair dryer in short bursts. Any other ideas?
Michele Johnson
Mar 5, 2017 -
Hi Heather, I’d be careful with the hair dryer – I think desiccating the lizard could be a concern there. I would make sure the lizard has drops of water it could lick off the sides of the fish tank, and I’d keep it in a warm area until it starts moving again. Good luck to you all!
Laurie
Apr 9, 2017 -
Hi,my sister and I found two eggs in a lizard colony I guess you can say in our backyard where we were fixing stuff. One of the eggs fell and now has a little patch missing you can see the lizard inside of it what do we Do? Do we leave it alone
Michele Johnson
Apr 10, 2017 -
Hi Laurie, The lizard egg will be most likely to hatch if it’s left alone. Although, I expect after falling, the egg would be pretty unlikely to hatch in any case. (BTW, if you found two eggs together, they’re likely to be the eggs of geckos, who are some of the only lizards to lay exactly two eggs at a time.)
MatthewM
May 5, 2017 -
Hey, what kind of lizards live in Sarasota FL? I would like to know because I catch them all the time, and catching the same one over and over again makes it a little bit boring. I have only caught Brown Anoles and Green Anoles. And I saw a Skink, but nothing else. So can you do a little research on it then answer me back soon? Thanks!
Michele Johnson
May 6, 2017 -
Hi Matthew, With a quick google search, I found a website from the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida that offers a photo guide to Florida lizards: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/herpetology/florida-amphibians-reptiles/lizards/. Good luck!
Ashley J Levert
May 16, 2017 -
Hi Michele,
I caught a green anole lizard a few days ago to keep as a pet for my sons for while with the intent to return him to the wild after a week or so. We’ve supplied bugs for him to eat and kept his enclosure out in the sun during daylight hours and he has been delightful to watch and care for, but now it time to release him.
My concern is that we caught this little guy while visiting my mother who lives in Birmingham, AL while we live in Atlanta, GA a couple of hours away, and it will be few weeks before we go to visit her again where green anoles live in abundance around her house. I initially thought that we would release him near our home since the climate is similar, however I failed to consider that one of our neighbors has several cats which she allows to roam freely, so I don’t think the little guy would be safe here. I don’t see any other lizards around here 🙁
Do you have any suggestions for how we can find a good place to let the little guy go? I wish we hadn’t taken him from his home now and feel terrible since he is very healthy lizard who was obviously thriving in his former environment. I jsut want the little guy to be safe and happy and able to roam freely once again.
Michele Johnson
May 17, 2017 -
Hi Ashley, For a variety of reasons, it’s almost always best to release a wild animal near its site of capture. For example, sometimes animals have adaptations to their local conditions, and they may be poorly matched for a new climate, or they may have parasites or infections that could spread to animals in the new area. And, you’re correct that cats kill large numbers of small vertebrates, and free-roaming cats in the neighborhood make it a dangerous place to be a lizard. So, if you can keep the lizard a few more weeks until you return to Birmingham, that might be best. Green anoles are pretty hardy in captivity, and should be ok with good care. If that’s not a possibility, though, releasing the animal in any privately-owned natural area (i.e., not a state park!) may be the best compromise. Best, Michele
Lee
May 19, 2017 -
I just wanted to say thanks for the article! We were transferred to Phoenix from Seattle a few years ago and enjoy seeing the lizards running around on our concrete block wall. We wondered what they did in the winter because we see some that appear full grown as soon as it warms up in the spring. They are small lizards with a body about 3 inches long and a similar length tail. The only time we saw a bigger lizard in our yard I accidently startled it and it tried to run across our pool. It got about half way across and slowed down and started to sink. I grabbed the net on a pole and scooped him up, put him in the front yard in the sun and he was fine. Our cat did the same thing when we first moved here, but he was able to swim across. He never got near the pool again!
Lee
May 19, 2017 -
I forgot to mention that our cat stayed inside except when we let him out in the fenced yard with us. He never showed any interest in the lizards but liked to lay in the sun and sleep.
Michele Johnson
May 19, 2017 -
Glad you found this to be useful, Lee! Sounds like you have a lot of fun lizard-watching in Phoenix!
Sara Yerkes
Jun 1, 2017 -
I live in Charleston SC and we have Anoles all over In the past week we’ve found 3-4 of them dead, and in fact today I found one dead this morning while letting my dogs out and then again this evening found one dead on my porch – both green. I also saw a brown one with white spots on it – strange – and he didn’t look too goof by I can’t find him. Any idea what could be causing this? Thank you!
Michele Johnson
Jun 2, 2017 -
Hi Sara, This does sound strange, and I don’t know the reason. I’ll post this question on twitter (I’m at @LizardMichele) and see if any of my friends and colleagues can help explain what might be going on. I’ll let you know what I hear.
Franz Petrie
Jun 6, 2017 -
what are the key and most important things to look after a small wild lizard
that i found at the beach?
What do they mostly eat?
thanks Franz Petrie
Michele Johnson
Jun 6, 2017 -
Hi Franz, If you’re asking about how to keep a wild lizard as a pet, you might check out the instructions I’ve offered for classroom teachers who keep anole lizards as educational pets (the first link at http://lizardsandfriends.org/#for-teachers) – that might answer some of your questions. To answer more specifically, I’d need to know more about the lizard you’re caring for. Best, Michele
Fred
Jun 8, 2017 -
Hi Michele! I have several fence lizards that live in my backyard and they thrive there! My wife and I enjoy watching them jump at bugs, chase one another around and show off doing push-ups!
Michele Johnson
Jun 8, 2017 -
Hi Fred, Sounds like you have a great back yard! Enjoy your lizards!
Fred
Jun 10, 2017 -
Michele: Day in the life of our fence lizards (no, I’m not crazy…:-)).
“Typically my family rises around 10:30 AM (we’re not early risers) and we get our H2O from the lawn. Once the weather heats up (moving into summer) we will look for nourishment from rocks (we like the higher ground).”
Thanks for all your research and work. Interestingly enough, we have one lizard that is dark enough to be almost invisible within our tanbark. I know you know this already but wanted to add to your data (this is Northern Ca).
FRED
Michele Johnson
Jun 11, 2017 -
Thanks, Fred! I really like this “day in the life” perspective!
Laura Brown
Jun 28, 2017 -
Yesterday my kids found a lizard on our fence, which is strange as we live in Wisconsin and I have literally never seen a wild lizard here. Thinking maybe it was a pet someone lost or let go, but I’m worried pout winter will be too cold for the little guy (actually probably girl, based on the coloring). Can you shed some light on just how cold a winter a western fence lizard can survive? If it CAN live on its own I’d let it go, but I’m worried out will freeze this winter.
Michele Johnson
Jul 3, 2017 -
Hi Laura, According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, there are four species of lizards that are native to Wisconsin (http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/WildlifeHabitat/herps.asp?mode=table&group=Lizards). If you found a western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), it’s indeed well out of its native range. I would expect that it couldn’t survive long-term cold temperatures, but it’s hard to guess the lowest temperature that it could survive, without knowing the population from which the lizard came – some lizards can do quite well in cold climates!
Gayle Fahrbach
Aug 24, 2017 -
Hello, Michelle-
Lois and Pervis, our backyard lizard “pets” that bring much joy to our lives (Fred and I), are the proud parents of three baby lizards. At least that is what I have spotted so far. The first baby made an appearance on Aug. 20.
We live in the East Bay of the SF Bay Area.
Rather than being fence lizards, our lizard family seems to be more of “roof” lizards. They crawl down from our roof when the fog has burned off or the backyard is warm enough. Some days, I believe they stay on the roof all day. In the evening they head up to the roof around the same time each day if they are in the backyard. We live in a two-story home with stucco walls.
Fred and I have been wondering how they know what time to head off to “bed”, otherwise known as the roof. Is it the position of the sun? As the days get shorter, do you think we will see less of them?
Thanks for your wonderful blog and information on lizards!
Kind regards,
Gayle
Michele Johnson
Aug 24, 2017 -
Hi Gayle, I’m not exactly sure of the answer to your question, but I know that many animals use the amount of available light to determine when it’s time to take refuge for sleep. (And, when we keep lizards in the lab and they can’t see the sun, they still move to their sleeping perches in the early evening when the lights start to dim.) As the seasons change, I expect you’ll see the juveniles for longer than the adults, as they need to maximize the food they eat to grow quickly, so they’ll be ready to breed next spring. And, all the lizards will probably be less active over the winter than in the warmer months when they breed.
I’m so glad you find this site to be useful!
Gabby
Sep 4, 2017 -
I have a lizard in a tank and was wondering how I can keep it warm
Michele Johnson
Sep 4, 2017 -
Hi Gabby, you can purchase full spectrum (UV) bulbs at most any pet store that will provide light and heat for the lizard. There are also special heating pads that you could use, but those may not be available at general pet stores (you could find them online).
Fred Russi
Sep 19, 2017 -
Hey Michelle, I have a few questions regarding a Eastern fence lizard that I’m afraid I hurt very bad. I was moving some very large branches that fell from a oak tree. About 45 minutes later I noticed a small lizard running out from underneath one of the logs. As I approached him I noticed that he wasn’t moving much. As I got closer I noticed that all the scales on his head have been removed And it was obvious that something had squashed his head. Both of his eyes were gone so he was completely blind but he was still very strong and acted like he might be able to make it. I brought him home with me and started force feeding him Bugs. Is finally drinking water on his own but I still have to open his mouth and put bugs in for him to eat because he can’t see. He or she is just a baby 3 inches overall. Do you think he will ever be able to learn to eat on his own? He acts like any other lizard now he’s healthy and strong again. I have had him for about 7 days now. My girlfriend thinks it’s cruel to keep him alive as she thinks he won’t ever eat on his own or live a normal life. Any feedback would be great. Thanks.
Fred Russi
Sep 19, 2017 -
Hey Michele sorry for misspelling your name.
Michele Johnson
Sep 19, 2017 -
Hi Fred, It’s tough to give advice here. It sounds like an unfortunate accident, and you’ve worked hard to help the lizard. Lizards can survive all kinds of injuries in the wild, but without eyes, I think it’s unlikely that this lizard will be able to survive outdoors. But fence lizards also have chemical senses, and so he should be able to “smell” food, even if he can’t see it. I would maybe suggest not force-feeding him, now that he’s stronger, and see if he’ll eat food on his own. Best of luck.
Fred Russi
Sep 19, 2017 -
Thanks for the quick reply. I know he can’t survive outdoors by himslef. That’s why I brought him home in hope of getting him back to health and Hoping he would be able to live as nice of a life as he can in a aquarium. I’m going to let some moths and crickets loose in his cage and just wait a few days and see if he’s able to find them and eat them. When I said i was force feeding him I only meant I was opening his moth just a little bit and putting part of a bug in his mouth. He would always just sit there for about 3 to 7 mins and then he would begin to chomp at the bug and finish getting it all in his mouth so he could swallow it. I will give you a update in a few days or so. Once again thanks for the advice.
Donna
Oct 15, 2017 -
You are Awesome and very patient with your I already answered that question answers 🙂 I learned a lot on your blog today just by reading! Thank You for all the great info! Been watching 3 Carolina lizards on my back deck and screened in porch (they go back and forth from). Also, I’m thinking you have to keep your border collie away from your little lizard friends, mine likes to chase them when they get in the garage…sadly I’ve found a few tails (yay they got away) https://photos.app.goo.gl/vSYVNsZVH1M7zyNg2
Michele Johnson
Oct 15, 2017 -
Thanks for your comment, Donna! I’m glad you’ve found the blog to be useful. (And my border collie has no interest in lizards, thankfully – she encounters them often, but she’s never even seemed to notice!)
Selly
Oct 17, 2017 -
Hello, I have been wanting to get a leopard gecko for awhile now, but my only concern is that at night I have my air conditioner on considering that when the heat is running throughout the house, my room is the only one that gets hot instead of warm. Would having my air conditioner on at night affect the gecko?
Michele Johnson
Oct 17, 2017 -
Hi Selly, Leopard geckos are fairly robust pets, so I expect they would be fine with “normal” indoor temperatures (air conditioning included). Cooler temperatures at night, in particular, should be fine (since it is cooler outside at night too).
Charmaine
Nov 28, 2017 -
Hello Michele, I have a Black & White Argentine Tegu. I have several questions. #1 I understand they don’t need light during hibernation, but do I still need to provide the heat light?
#2 Lightening is a big issue for me. What type of lightening do they need. I know the heat light, but do they also need another light for day and night. I read somewhere about a blue light for the day & a red light for the night. Sounds like 3 different lights to me.
#3 What is the best thing for substrate? If I buy sand, does it still need to be sterilized?
I have a Dachshund Hound & she gets along very well with my Tegu.
Michele Johnson
Nov 30, 2017 -
Hi Charmaine, I really don’t know much at all about keeping captive tegus. I’ll need to refer you to more specialist resources on tegus that could better address your questions.
Charmaine
Nov 30, 2017 -
Thank you so much for responding. My first time asking a question on a blog, so I really didn’t expect an immediate response. You couldn’t answer my questions, but I have found the questions and responses here to be quite interesting. I sort of figured out the lightening and heating, so I expect Peanut Butter to survive his hibernation. I decided not to mess with any sand, so I will purchase reptile substrate. The extra expense will be more than worth it. I take care of my dog the same way. The more things I do right, the less vet visits I will have. My son rescued this guy, because the owners were going to release it. I didn’t want a lizard, but I soon got on board. He has become a special part of our family, and I don’t know what I will do for the next 5 or so months. Have a wonderful day!
JC
Dec 13, 2017 -
Hi will the lizards in my backyard be safe if it is cold for over 24 hours?
Michele Johnson
Dec 13, 2017 -
Hi JC, most lizards will be fine during short cold spells. The lizards that are native to your area have evolved in the weather conditions of the area, and while they won’t be comfortable during cold weather, they should survive.
Dani
Dec 13, 2017 -
Hi Michele,
It’s been cold in South Carolina, and last night I needed to bring in a large potted tree for fear of freeze. When I moved the pot I found 2 sleeping lizards. They did not try and find new shelter they just kind of moved closer together . I was worried there’d freeze over night. So I put them in a shoe box with some dirt and leave and such. My question is can I put them back outside or will they be ok in the garage until it warms up a little. It’s in the low 40’s
Michele Johnson
Dec 13, 2017 -
Hi Dani, the lizards should be able to find another warm-enough place to stay safe, if you release them during the day. (I wouldn’t recommend releasing them at night.) If you keep them in the shoebox in the garage (which sounds like a nice way to give them a warm habitat) for a few days, I would make sure to spray a little water in the box, once a day or so, so that they have enough water to drink. Hope you’re staying warm too!
Cheryl Benard
Dec 23, 2017 -
I live in Santa Fe. In the fall I was going to use a bucket that I keep on my porch, when I noticed that a lizard was in it. I thought he was dead but after a few days he had moved and had been joined by a second lizard. I was away for a while and now I see that both lizards are still in the bucket but can they possibly spend the winter in there? What will they do for water and food? Should I be doing something for them? Thank you in advance for any advice. It is very cold here, below freezing but I guess it’s warmer in the bucket right up agains the house wall in a sheltered corner….
Michele Johnson
Dec 24, 2017 -
Hi Cheryl, If the bucket is vertical, the lizards may be trapped inside it. You might want to turn the bucket on its side to let them escape. If it’s already on its side and the lizards are choosing to hang out there, then it must be a safe and warm place for them. Happy holidays!
Christina Brady
Dec 29, 2017 -
We live in south Texas and see anoles all summer long, as well as a few spiny lizards. At least 2 spiny lizards were hanging around my direct vent gas fireplace (not a traditional chimney fireplace). During our first cold snap, we lit the fireplace. I heard strange noises and found they had dropped down inside- I could see them behind the glass. After a few days and much warmer weather, they were still inside just relaxing on the fake logs! (Accidental terrarium?) I figured they probably couldn’t climb back out so I removed the glass and placed a branch inside leading up to the vent hole. The next day, I saw them outside! Happy day!
My question is, we’re in for a longer cold period and would love to turn the fireplace on but I have no idea if they’ve decided to hunker down for winter in the vent?? I haven’t seen them outside around the fireplace in weeks after seeing them daily for months, and I don’t want them to fall in again if I light the fireplace . How can I know if they are in there? Is it likely they would stay there all winter? Do they react to noise- meaning if I were to make noise in the fireplace, would they run out through the vent even in the cold? I don’t want them to die, I enjoy having them around.
Michele Johnson
Dec 31, 2017 -
Hi Christina, I really like your description of the accidental terrarium!
If the lizards are fairly cold, they might not respond to noise. I’m not sure what to suggest, exactly, but I do think lizards are generally more creative at escaping than we expect. Stay warm in these cold days!
Kate Crawford
Jan 3, 2018 -
Oh! So happy to have found this blog post! I’m in Tampa, Florida and within the last year a non-native lizard has taken up residence, well more than one, around my home. They are curly tailed lizards. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, they’ve never been reported further south than Broward County. This morning one is on the wall of my front porch, I’m sure he’s looking for warmth and must be going into some level of stasis. I’m am worried about him bc of the weather…but am too afraid to move him. If I know he’ll be okay, I’ll leave him alone – but if I need to take action, I’ll have to find the nerve to do it. They are such interesting creatures – and always look so inquisitive. Please advise.
Michele Johnson
Jan 8, 2018 -
Hi Kate, Curly tail lizards are so much fun to watch – how fun that one has come to you! Because the weather in Florida has been so very cold this past week, it’s possible that it has been too cold for these lizards to survive. Lizards are often instinctively able to find refuges that are warm enough for them, and I expect your house is much warmer than the trees and rocks outside of it. I do hope this little guy made it through the cold snap!
Dave
Jan 7, 2018 -
Came back from Florida last week after moving a family member with my truck (colder than normal). I apparently brought back a little hitchhiker.. a gecko or anole.. not sure type.. just caught him in my house (live in northern Alabama where we see them in summer)… any idea what I can do with him?
Michele Johnson
Jan 8, 2018 -
Hi Dave, If the lizard you found was a gecko, it was probably an invasive house gecko, as these are the most common geckos you would see (potentially this one: http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Hemidactylus_frenatus/). If it was an anole, it was most likely an invasive brown anole, or a native green anole (although the green anoles can change between green and brown body color, we still call them green anoles; http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Anolis_carolinensis/). Anoles have a throat flap called a dewlap, and geckos do not. House geckos have bodies that translucent, and bumps on their skin called tubercules. Both are in Florida and Alabama, so it’s not a big deal to just let them go outside, unless you wanted to keep it as a pet.
Lisa
Jan 10, 2018 -
Hi Michele,
Thank you SO much in advance!
I’ll try to make it brief.
Our rotten cat got a green anole Christmas Eve inside the screened-in porch. We brought her inside to die. No tail, scratched up & a chunk out of her side. Tiny little thing. 🙁
That was 15 days ago! She lives in a shoebox. Sock filled with rice for heating pad. Misted leaves for drinking. She won’t eat although I have read that’s not unusual. She is healing nicely & even shed her skin yesterday! She has also become a lot more active! 🙂 So much so, that I hate putting her back in the box. 🙁
I plan to release her tomorrow since the winter storm here in Savannah is over & temps are warmer…..However, I am SO scared that I’ve had her too long, or that she won’t find any place safe to hide out the rest of the winter (I haven’t seen any other anoles for ages). Will she be okay? I’m also terrified she come back to the screen room or encounter a different cat!
I know I sound like a crazy person…I have fallen in love with her, but it’s so stressful keeping her away from our indoor cat! I cannot keep her as a pet.
Any help is GREATLY appreciated!
THANK YOU.
Michele Johnson
Jan 10, 2018 -
Hi Lisa, I’m so glad to hear that your little lizard has been healing! I think she’ll be ok outdoors – I’m sure she’ll need to find a warm place quickly, but if she’s been with you for two weeks then I expect she has the strength to find a refuge. At least, she has the best chance she could have due to your care. Good luck!
Steve Humes
Jan 15, 2018 -
Hello Michelle;
My name is Steve and I found a family of Green Anoles living in my shed this past summer. The interesting thing about this is that I live in Pennsylvania. As far as I understand, they should not be this far north.
At first I only saw the one and would see him every now and again on hot days. Then I saw two at once and then later I saw three at once. So I assume I have a family taking shelter in my shed.
My daughter had a couple of anoles as pets back in 2002. One escaped and the other eventually died. I can’t help but wonder if the one that escaped was pregnant and happened to find my shed and the smorgasbord of insects that also take up residence there and started a family.
Thing is that there have been many winters between then and now and it is often in the single digits here during the winter. We just went through over a week where the temps didn’t get out of the single digits much. Do you think these little guys will be OK? I mean I assume they have been dealing with these conditions for many years but I don’t really know. The three I saw together were of different sizes which makes me think they’ve been there long enough to raise a family.
I am reluctant to change anything regarding how I keep the shed as I assume it has been agreeable enough in previous winters but can’t help wondering how they are doing…
Your Thoughts?
Michele Johnson
Jan 15, 2018 -
Hi Steve, This is indeed unexpected! I assume you know exactly what green anoles look like, having had them as pets. The scenario you suggest is possible, that the escaped lizard was gravid and managed to reproduce and they survived, but is not “supposed” to happen with the kind of weather you experience in PA. Also, anoles don’t usually hang out together, as they defend territories from one another (and have no parental care), so it’s also a little curious that you saw them in a group. In any case, I wouldn’t suggest changing anything about the shed, but I agree it seems unlikely that these guys (if they are anoles) would make it through the winter. Feel free to send me a photo to confirm what they are, if you’d like.
Steve Humes
Jan 16, 2018 -
Hello Michele & Thanks so much for your quick reply;
I am pretty sure these are anoles. They at least look exactly like the ones my daughter kept. Also when I saw the first one, he was initially green and then turned brown as I moved closer to check him out.
I never saw the anoles hanging out together in a group. They were just out in the shed at the same time. They do all seem to have their favorite areas. One hung out above a window with a southern exposure where there was a large spider in a web below (the spider and the web eventually disappeared). I would often see this one basking in that window. The smaller one hung out around the side door of the shed and would often be poking out from around the side door jam. The third one I saw on the chicken wire. I did see one on the vent screen once but I’m not sure which one that was. They all seemed to like the chicken wire though. I also grow Mission Figs here and I use the chicken wire and plastic sheeting, tar paper and burlap to wrap the figs for winter. All this stuff is piled up on the side of the shed where I always saw the anoles.
I have been affectionately calling them Shed Lizards since they can’t be your standard variety anole this far north and I have never seen them outside the shed …
I only ever saw all three at the same time once, shortly before I stopped seeing them just before winter. I don’t go into the shed much thru winter.
I have only ever seen them on the eastern side of the shed where I pile up the chicken wire and material I use to wrap the figs. Of course with this being winter, all that stuff is currently on the fig trees and no longer in the shed. I have no idea where they go to brave the cold temperatures. Would you expect they winter huddled together or would they each have their own spot to hibernate or whatever they do?
I do hope to see them again in spring. If what I think happened to explain them being there is correct, I expect I will.
I never saw them until this year but they must have been there for a while. I really don’t spend time in the shed. I go in, get what I need and leave. So they may have been there since the one escaped in 2002; who knows. I may even have more. I wouldn’t have noticed them this year except I heard one drop (I believe I startled it). I was certainly surprised when I saw a lizard.
I mainly wanted to confirm these are anoles and know if I should be doing anything special regarding their care through the winter. I like that they are there and want to do what I can to make sure they’re OK.
I am sending you this message along with some pictures to your email address that I found in an earlier post.
Thanks again for your interest. I do appreciate it.
Steve
Melody
Jan 20, 2018 -
I’m in Central Florida, and it’s been colder than normal this winter. A couple days ago, I was bringing plants into the house from the screened-in porch, because it was supposed to freeze during the night. I saw two lizards, probably brown anoles, trapped in a large, empty flower pot. Sadly, one was long dead. The other looked very dehydrated. His ribs were showing, and he has holding his mouth open. I have no idea how long he had been there. He was half-way through a shed. It has been colder than usual for a few weeks, and it was a particularly cold evening. It was supposed to freeze, which rarely happens here. Since it was so cold out, I didn’t know if he had recently fallen in and was just cold and sluggish, or if he had been there for a long time and was weak from dehydration and starvation. I was afraid that he would not be able to find shelter in time if he was weak. So I brought him inside on the plants, and sprayed him and the plants with water. Since my sister has a gecko, I know that they are supposed to have a moist environment for shedding. I assume anoles are the same, so I am worried that he might have problems finishing his shed if he has been dehydrated too long. Yesterday, I put him in the bathroom sink with about 1/8 inch of water to sit in for a few minutes, to soften the dry skin, since he had made no progress in shedding for two days. Most of it came loose. Then I put my potted aloe plant in the empty sink and set him on the leaf. I turned on the shower and steamed up the room. He lay there and closed his eyes, and looked comfortable, just opening his eyes for a few minutes whenever I came in to check on him. So I steamed up the room a couple more times for the next 24 hours. Now the skin has finished shedding from his back and most of his legs, but there is still a little on his head and legs. I think he is looking better than he was. How long should a shed take? Is there a way for me to know whether he needs help to finish shedding, or if he will be fine on his own now? When I first brought him in, I got him to open his mouth, and put a drop of water in his mouth, and he drank it. I did this a few times the next day, as well. I didn’t think he was strong enough to eat bugs, and I remembered that my uncle in Hawaii has trained one of his house lizards to come lick a drop of melted ice cream off his finger. So I put a drop of ice cream in his open mouth. He licked with his tongue and closed his mouth, so I think he swallowed it. I gave him a drop of ice cream every day for three days. Even though it is 75 degrees in my house, he still is moving slowly, and only when I startle him. Even then, he does not move very far. I don’t even have him in a cage, because he is not running away. He is just sitting among the potted plants in the living room. Tomorrow, it is supposed to be warm again outside, in the 70’s, and it is supposed to be warm during the day for the next week. I think this was our last cold snap. I am thinking about putting the potted plants back on the porch, and leaving him on the plants, since that is probably where he was living before he fell into the empty pot (which I have now turned upside down to prevent further accidents). But I am worried he might not be able to catch bugs if he is too weak. Should I keep feeding him drops of ice cream for a few more days? Or is that bad for him? How can I know if he is strong enough to catch bugs?
Michele Johnson
Jan 23, 2018 -
Hi Melody, Thanks for writing – this is a really interesting account of how you’ve nursed this lizard back to better health! I’ve never heard of feeding lizards ice cream before. I think the plan to put the potted plant on your porch once the weather is warm is a good one. In cooler weather, small lizards don’t need to eat much, because their metabolic rates will be lower, so he’s probably strong enough to fend for himself after your care for the last few days. If you want to be very careful, you could get some small crickets from a local pet store, and place the lizard in a box with 2-3 crickets.
Jenn Tecce
Jan 23, 2018 -
I live in Florida and found a lizard in the house where my front door is. I did not notice him until i closed the door. He looks like he is swallowing alot and turning his head side to side. He is also not moving much, i caught him easily. What could be wrong and what can i do to help him. I put him on the ground on top of my garden flag behind the post in the shade.
Michele Johnson
Jan 23, 2018 -
Hi Jenn, I’m not sure what might be wrong with this lizard – it might be moving very little because of colder weather, but the fact that you caught him easily suggests that it might be sick. Putting him in a relatively safe place (behind the post in the shade) is probably the best you can do for him.
Debra Grayson
Mar 1, 2018 -
I live In Naples Fl and when the weather started to get cool back in November 2017, all the curly tail lizards seemed to just disappear, this saddened me because I am really attached to one, he used to be out when i was around and at 1st he would run away, then i began to talk to him, i nammed him nubby because he lost his tail, and he started to hang with me and not run and hide, so then i started giving him freeze dried meal worms and crickets and he would come back every afternoon when i came home from work and wait for his treat. I then gave him freeze dried grasshoppers and he would eat out of my hand, run to me everytime i opened my door, follow me next door to my neighbors house, he even ran towards the pizza delivery lady and gave her a fright!! All in all, he came back today ready to eat some tasty treats and it just made me so happy!
Michele Johnson
Mar 2, 2018 -
This is such a delightful story, Debra! Thanks for sharing it!
rahul
Mar 11, 2018 -
if one lizard come in my room the room is packet after lizard come i turn off m y ac lizard is live or dead
rahul
Mar 14, 2018 -
please reply
Jeannine Trusty
Jun 9, 2018 -
Hi Michelle,
I live in central Indiana and found what appears to be a leopard gecko in my living room last night. I’m very surprised to see any kind of lizard here in my home state of Indiana. Someone told me that fence lizards are not uncommon here though, so I wonder if this guy might be a fence lizard. His tail is missing. Currently I have him in a small tank with a heat rock and some coconut scrapings and a small lid of water. We put some mealworms in the tank, but he doesn’t seem to be interested in eating. I’m at a loss as what to do with this little guy. Our winters are generally very cold and I’m afraid he couldn’t survive here after the autumn months? Any advice you have for me I would greatly appreciate!
Jeannine
Michele Johnson
Jun 10, 2018 -
Hi Jeannine, It sounds like you’re taking good care of this lizard! If you found a leopard gecko, it might be a pet someone released outside. But if it’s a fence lizard that naturally occurs in Indiana (and it could be), then it should be fine in your cold winter, as it would be adapted to survive local conditions. The two species look very different, especially in their eyes and the smoothness of the scales on their backs (leopard geckos are smooth with some bumps; fence lizards are somewhat spiky). If it’s a leopard gecko I’d take it to a local pet shop for advice. Good luck! Michele
Darius
Jun 10, 2018 -
Do lizards freeze when they sleep
Michele Johnson
Jun 10, 2018 -
Hi Darius, If it’s very cold at night, lizards could freeze and die. But because they can slow their metabolism so dramatically when they’re cold, they can appear to freeze but after warming back up, they may be ok again. Thanks for your question!
Emma
Jun 11, 2018 -
We have a green anole and he is brown almost all of the time. We only have a UV light for him at the moment, but it keeps the tempature in his cage at around 80 degrees. When we mist his cage it drops down to 75 degrees. And in Michigan the summer nights get cold, and we leave the windows open. When we turn off the light at night, or even just during the day, we are wondering if he is brown because he is too cold. Or if he is stressed from the new surroundings. Helppp!!
Michele Johnson
Jun 12, 2018 -
Hi Emma, Some green anoles just seem to be brown most of the time – this could just be his personal preference! You’re right that some anoles are brown when they are stressed or cold, so those might be contributing factors, but if he is eating well and doesn’t look to be too skinny, he’s probably ok. You could get a heated rock or a reptile heating pad from a local pet store if you think he might be too cold to be comfortable. Good luck!
Erica
Jun 25, 2018 -
I caught 2 lizards and they aren’t eating the crickets I feed them
Dave
Aug 11, 2018 -
We’ve had a green anole for about a year now and just noticed the glands on the back of her neck have gotten swollen. I’m considering letting her free outside but we live in CT and I’m sure her chances of surviving winter is slim to none. Not sure what to do but I know I wouldn’t want to live in a glass box my whole life.
Michele Johnson
Aug 12, 2018 -
Hi Dave, I’m sorry to hear your anole isn’t looking well. I would not suggest releasing her outside though – pets should never be released into the wild, and you’re right that this lizard wouldn’t survive the winter. If you are no longer willing to keep her as a pet, I would suggest taking the lizard to a vet for humane euthanasia.
Bernadette Teichmann
Sep 14, 2018 -
Hello. I am so glad I found you. I found three dead Skinks in the corner inside my old storage building. They were all curled up together and when I found them they were quite desiccated. They are very well preserved. What I would like to know is, were they curled up together for warmth? We have very cold Winters here in Amarillo. I am keeping it and would like to preserve it because it is really neat.
Michele Johnson
Sep 14, 2018 -
Hi Bernadette, It’s possible that they were curled up together for warmth, but that’s not a common behavior in our Texas skinks, to my knowledge. Another possibility is that the space where they were huddled was a warmer space than the areas around, and they all found their way there to try to stay warm using the environmental warmth (a corner would likely be slightly warmer than the middle of the room, for example). Congrats on a neat find!
Bernadette Teichmann
Sep 14, 2018 -
Thank you so much for your reply. I would love to send you a picture if you could tell me how. Their little claws are so perfect. I am 71 years old and had a wonderful Dad that got me interested in critters. I am watching a beautiful Orb Spider capture “Miller Bugs” every night, on my back deck. It is amazing how fast “she” can work. Maybe the Skinks were wrestling? Once again I was excited to find you. Thanks , Bernadette
Dottie Daily
Sep 26, 2018 -
Are there any kinds of lizards that would live on my lanai in SW Florida without caging him. It is a screened lanai with a pool. I love lizards but hate cages. (I have a few anoles on the lanai that I hand feed and I enjoy so much that I can have them around me while they are still free.)
mjadmin
Sep 26, 2018 -
Hi Dottie, I’m not an expert on keeping lizards as pets, as I study them primarily in the wild. I’m not sure what lizard species might live on your lanai without a cage, but the folks at pet stores or herp shows would probably be able to offer more useful advice. Good luck!
Josh
Nov 21, 2018 -
Hi Michelle
I live in SC and right now it’s slowly converting from fall to winter. Last week I brought in some patio plants to keep them from freezing. A day or so later, I noticed a green anole lounging on my living room window ledge. The little guy seemed perfectly happy and relaxed so I decided to leave him be… Plus my 10yo son wants him to live with us since it’s getting down into the 30’s outside at night. So, I decided to go to the local pet store and speak with someone who knew about lizards. They recommended meal worms and to dip them into Repti Calcium- only because I didn’t want crickets lose in my house, because the anole lives in the house plant. It’s been about two weeks and I haven’t had any luck with the anole eating any of the meal worms. We come home and the lizard is lounging about around the living room and moves from plant to plant as if he’s really enjoying himself… We keep the house around 72 degrees and the lizard also likes to lie on a small plant just under a fluorescent light that we have under a cabinet… Is this normal for him not to have an appetite? He appears to be active and in good health, just not interested in the worms.
Michele Johnson
Nov 23, 2018 -
Hi Josh, Small mealworms are an easy food to give to anoles, but it’s not usually a preferred food for them when they have other choices. I expect that if the lizard is free about your house, he’s finding small flies or spiders in the plants and corners of the rooms. And, since it’s a cool temp inside your home, his metabolism rate is probably fairly low and he doesn’t need a lot of food to subsist. If you don’t want to put him in a cage but you want to make sure he has enough to eat, I’d suggest maybe once a week putting him in a small box with a few crickets (dusted in reptical), let him eat in the confined space, and then place him back in the houseplants. Good luck!
Natalie (and Gus)
Jan 3, 2019 -
Hi there. My son and I are trying to figure out what to do with the lizard we found in our house (he has been making appearances on and off over the last couple weeks)! We’re pretty sure it’s a Texas Spiny Lizard and he likes to hang out under the couch near our fireplace (it’s currently winter with temps outside ranging from 30-50º in Fort Worth). We have come to like the little guy and want what’s best for him. Should we carefully catch and release him outside? Let him continue to live with us for the winter (does he need food? should we keep our dog away from him?)? Alternatively, my 7yo son would really love to keep him as a pet – but we don’t want to take in a wild lizard if he’s better suited to stay outside. Any advice would be great! Thanks!
mjadmin
Jan 22, 2019 -
Hi Natalie, Congrats on finding such a cool lizard! To answer your question, it’s generally best for wild animals to live outside. Even when it’s cold, they know how to stay warm enough (often that means finding a warm place to hide, which is likely how it found its way into your house to begin with). Texas spiny lizards can be decent pets if you give them plenty of food (live crickets or mealworms several times a week, dusted with calcium/phosphorus powder, and mist him with water daily), but since this species only occurs in this small part of the world in Texas, it would probably be best to release him when your family can bear to part with him! Good luck!
Mike
May 21, 2019 -
Hey there fello san antonian. My cat brought a small leopard pattern gecko in the house and pierced its head slightly (relatively) with her tooth. Internal bleeding is evident but he is alive and breathing, though obviously in pain.
I made him a humid hide to help but don’t know if I should euthanize him or if he can heal? I don’t like seeing animals in pain, even a small lizard 🙁
mjadmin
May 21, 2019 -
Hi Mike, This is a tough situation. If the lizard is still struggling, feel free to email me directly (mjohnso9 at trinity dot edu) and I’ll give what help I can.
Jessi ham
Jul 28, 2019 -
Hello, I am here to ask a couple questions concerning a green anole and a Bahamian anole. We keep them in a 10 gallon terrarium but how do I keep them warm enough? We were told to turn their heat lamp off at night but we run our window ac all night at 71 degrees, it has a mesh top but I’m afraid the air of the room will make them to cold? Is there any way to keep them warm enough or are they safe?
mjadmin
Jul 29, 2019 -
Hi Jessi, You should be able to run your AC at night without causing harm to your pet anoles. Nighttime temps in the low 70s aren’t so different from what they experience in the wild, and they’ll likely find the warmest areas of the terrarium in which to spend the night. Good luck!
stella
Sep 3, 2019 -
Hi there, I have a uromastyx and can’t figure out how to copy the temperature drop they have in the wild. Do i turn his heat off at night ? I don’t want him to be too hot or too cold.
mjadmin
Sep 3, 2019 -
Hi Stella, If your lizard is inside with a heat lamp or heating pad, you might want to use an automated timer to turn off the heating element at night. I’m not an expert on keeping Uromastyx though!
Suzy
Sep 22, 2019 -
My daughter found a baby brown lizard yesterday. It crawled onto her finger and just wanted to stay there and sleep. It doesn’t try to run away so we made a habitat for it inside. Can we keep it or will it die? How long can they go without food? It’s not eating to bugs we offer. And in general it’s pretty sleepy. Fall is starting here, but it’s still pretty warm during the day. It’s so cute and will just sleep on your finger indefinitely. But I don’t want to kill it by keeping it inside.
mjadmin
Sep 23, 2019 -
Hi Suzy, It’s so fun to find baby lizards outside! If you want to keep it as a pet, you’ll need to get small insects that are easy to eat (like wingless fruit flies; your local pet store can help), dust them with calcium/phoshorus powder (to promote good bone development), and provide a full spectrum light (that mimics sunlight). You’ll also need to mist it with water every day, as most lizards don’t drink from standing water. The lizard would probably be fine outside, but it takes a lot more work to keep them healthy indoors. Good luck to you and your daughter!
Suzy
Sep 23, 2019 -
Thank you! Today it was more active and I’ve spoke with my daughter about letting it back outside where it will be happiest. It still doesn’t try to run away, but we’ll most likely release it. Her original plan was to raise it and then let it go. But by that point it might not know how to survive.
Cc
Oct 20, 2019 -
Hello, I live in N Texas and is getting cooler at night now. I saw a green anole that has been living on my porch all summer today still in the same area. I wasn’t too concerned but then I realized we just put shredded texas cedar mulch under the bushes and in a couple of pots. Do you think the cedar mulch will hurt him? The mulch is not very aromatic.
mjadmin
Oct 20, 2019 -
I don’t think the cedar mulch will be any problem at all for the lizard! He might find it to be a nice place to burrow in for warmth.
Lindsay
Oct 20, 2019 -
My dog sadly killed a female spiny lizard presumably as she was about to lay her eggs in the dirt. Her eggs were everywhere and I was so upset and pretty grossed out tbh. I saved two of the eggs and kept them in dirt in the garage for almost 2 months. One hatched a beautiful lil baby that ran up my arm and took off on my porch in July. He or she is now living in a wood block pile and I see him every day growing strong. It makes me so happy! My question- if I’m moving in the next few months and he’s still hanging around when it gets cooler outside, can I relocate him to my new yard with his lumber house? Or should I leave him here to live out his days in his territory? There are two or three other spiny lizards I see around my yard and it’s leafy and wooded. I just don’t want to leave him. I’d have to disassemble his house too before moving. :/ Being a lizard step mom is rough. ( I don’t really want to keep him captive either because I think nature is best) thank you!!
mjadmin
Oct 20, 2019 -
Hi Lindsay, Sounds like a cool lizard friend you’ve got! It depends on where you move to, as to whether the lizard might thrive in the new habitat. In general, it’s not a good idea to relocate wild animals, as they may have local adaptations that are best suited to where they naturally live. If you move far away, I’d recommend against moving him, but if it’s relatively close by, he might find his way back to his original home (lizards have been shown to have surprisingly good navigational skills). So overall, it’s probably best to leave him behind (even though it’s sad!).
Lindsay
Oct 21, 2019 -
Thank you for the quick response. By moving, I mean moving from a rental house in Dallas-Fort Worth to another rental in the same metroplex. He’s probably better off where he was born. I’d hate to have him take off on a harrowing Homeward Bound journey because of me.
Toni S.
Nov 11, 2019 -
Hi! I’m so glad to have found this site with its useful information and Q&A section. I live in southwestern Florida and we frequently find what I think are probably common house geckos inside our house. They’re adorable! We don’t really mind them being inside, but we don’t seem to have a lot of bugs inside, so there isn’t much for them to eat. If I don’t catch them and put them outside, we’ll frequently find their bodies or skeletons dead around the house. Often, we’ll see them running around for several days, and by the time I’m able to catch them, they are often a sickly pale pink color, so skinny I can’t believe they are still alive, and their eyes and innards are easily visible through their pale skin (I have pics, if I could post them). I put them outside where I figure they will have a better chance at finding food and water, but my question is, at what temperature is it too cold to put a gecko out? I just put one out now, in 63°F weather, which seems a bit cold, but it will be warmer in the morning. I’d hate to think I was killing them by putting them outside only to freeze to death. Am I better off holding them until morning to release them, when it’s warmer? (I nearly always catch them at night.) I’m afraid having them trapped under a drinking glass for several hours (that’s how I catch them) might suffocate them, or even scare them to death, as they often seem paralyzed with fear after the first few seconds. Or, if it’s under a certain temperature outside in the winter, am I better off keeping them inside indefinitely, even without any visible food or water? I sometimes catch two a night, and this spring, I actually caught and released four geckos in the same night … now I wonder if they might have been a family? Thanks so much for any advice you can offer!
mjadmin
Nov 11, 2019 -
Hi Toni, Because house geckos are nocturnal, it’s probably best to release them outdoors at night, during their active period. I probably wouldn’t release them if the temps are close to freezing, as they might not be able to find a warm shelter quickly, but they should generally be fine at any outdoor temperature. They wouldn’t suffocate under a drinking glass, as lizards’ low metabolism rate means they don’t consume much oxygen, even over a few hours.
Toni S.
Nov 12, 2019 -
Thank you, MJAdmin! I’m glad to know I’m not freezing them to death, but will make an effort to keep them inside longer if the temperature is near freezing. As a footnote, since I released the one (already small) gecko outside less than 24 hours ago, I’ve discovered not one, but TWO even smaller ones tonight, who stuck quite close together until I tried to catch them, at which point they scattered. They are probably only about 5cm long including the tails, and very skinny. Now that I know that geckos lay eggs in twos, I think they may be recent hatchlings, and I may have just separated them from their mother. Oops. 🙁 IF I’m able to catch them, should I try to get them outside ASAP at night in the hope that their mother might find them again? Will such young ones even be able to fend for themselves outdoors, or am I better off keeping them inside until they grow a bit? The info I’ve read here has led me to believe the geckos are probably finding enough to eat and drink inside to keep themselves alive, even if we don’t see any bugs, but we find so many dead geckos inside that I have to think they are better off outside. I’m just not sure about these tiny guys, and whether they are even recent hatchlings, or just very small geckos. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them this small before. Any further advice is appreciated!
Toni
Nov 13, 2019 -
Hi MJ … sorry to bug you again, but my two adorable little gecko hatchlings are still in the house from a few days ago. They are under 3″ long, including the tail, and their bodies are less than 1/4″ wide at the abdomen, most definitely thinner than the heads. I’m sure I could catch them at this juncture, but I’m wondering if it’s safe to put them outside. I’m sure they could find food, but I’m not so sure they could fend for themselves against predators. I wouldn’t mind keeping them inside until they’re older, but I have no live bugs to feed them, and don’t know what I would even put them in to keep them captive, they’re so tiny. Your advice would be very much appreciated! Thank you!
Michele Johnson
Nov 14, 2019 -
Hi Toni, I do think the little geckos will be ok outside, although they may just try to find their way back inside your house! These are invasive animals, originally from the Mediterranean, and they are called “house geckos” because of their affinity for living alongside humans, especially in their invasive range (like in the US). Their most likely predators are cats (another species we’ve caused to be invasive) or larger geckos. You probably wouldn’t be able to keep them alive in a cage for long without feeding them live insects, so the best action is probably to set them back outside. They’re pretty hardy!
Toni
Nov 14, 2019 -
Thanks, Michele! One little guy (or girl?) is running around my ceiling right now; he’s my late-night buddy! I’ll be happy to keep them inside – running free, that is – until I can catch them, and then I’ll put them out, though I think I’ll feel slightly sad about it. I can’t stop taking photos of them! We don’t have any cats nearby (a few strays, but I don’t see them too often); my neighbor does have several small dogs, but I’m not at all sure they’re interested in small lizards – more so barking at anything that walks by. At any rate, I can only protect them so much. Thanks again for this great site, and for answering all our questions!
Kate
Nov 12, 2019 -
I live near Houston, TX and the temperatures dropped dramatically overnight…into the 30’s from being in the 70s. On my walk in to work I noticed a dark brown lizard sort of hanging from one of the metal bars on the handrail into my building. There was something about him that told me he wasn’t dead. So I got a container from my office and when I nudged him to get him to slide in, he moved a little. I’ve got him in my office and he’s totally perked up and now bright green, so he’s one of our native lizards.
Question is…can I put him back outside? It’s in the low 40’s now and supposed to freeze tonight. If I put him out now, will he be able to find a better place to hibernate than the metal bars of our sidewalk stair handrail? Or should I keep him a few days until the temperatures go back up?
If I keep him, what kind of care should I give him – do I need to feed him if I just keep him 1-2 days???
Susan
Nov 17, 2019 -
I found a baby lizard on my back deck ..thought he was frozen but realized he moved a bit…I set my desk lamp outside …he is laying under it…what do I need to do so he can find his way home & be safe?
Susan Fike
Nov 17, 2019 -
Hi Michelle
I found a little lizard on my back deck..it is in the low 40’s. Here in North Carolina…warm front on its way..I thought this little guy froze to death..he moved some so I put my desk lamp out on the floor & he ius curled up under it fit the past day & night..,,what should I do next to ensure he makes it to better shelter to survive?
Michele Johnson
Nov 18, 2019 -
Hi Susan, If you wanted to bring him inside to warm up and offer him some live small crickets or mealworms, and a few sprays of water, that might help him a bit before you release him back to find his home. There’s not much to do when cold weather comes, as it always does! The lizards generally know where to go to shelter. Good luck!
THANKGOD ISAIAH
Feb 24, 2020 -
Good day, I found a dead lizard in my car. Is it possible that high temperature kills lizards?
mjadmin
Feb 24, 2020 -
Hi Isaiah, Yes, high temperatures will certainly kill small lizards quickly.
annie
Oct 7, 2020 -
Hi! I found your website while doing a search for help for a little green lizard in my garden. It got stuck on yellow sticky paper (it was meant to catch whiteflies) and I took 10min or so to try to gently free it. Well, it IS free and I set it on a large leaf on the garden floor hoping it didn’t get too hurt from the sticky paper and me freeing it up. I didn’t know if it needed to be placed somewhere warmer as it’s 64F outside now at 8am. Thanks for your informative website!
mjadmin
Oct 7, 2020 -
Hi Annie, It should be ok at ambient temperatures, so I would let the lizard find his own way. Glad you’ve found the website to be helpful!
Julie Clinton
Oct 22, 2020 -
Hi! So glad to find your website. We live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. We have lots of Anoles, and geckos. I am a fan of all of them, and I do not get any type of pest control because I don’t want to get rid of their food source. We have had a very healthy looking Anole in our garage for the last 3 days. He is hanging out on a little table that we have out there. Every day he justs sits in different spots on the table and watches us. It is getting colder at nights, but it has been in the 80’s the last few days, and still he just sits in the garage on the table. I am afraid he will get run over by the car or something. Also, is it possible that he plans to just spend the winter there? lol
I don’t mind, but just wondering if he would be better off outside to find a better winter home?
mjadmin
Oct 22, 2020 -
Hi Julie, Sounds like a fun anole friend you’ve found! I don’t really think it’s possible to convince the little guy that he should have a different home, and we generally know that lizards are very good at finding little microhabitats that give them the protection they need from the weather. The table sounds like a good perch for him during the day, and I expect he finds a warm little spot under a rock, or between boards in the wall, etc. for the colder times and at night. I think he’s probably ok!
Julie Clinton
Oct 22, 2020 -
Ok, then we will just enjoy having him as our garage-mate! I have found them in my golf bag before, so I guess he will have lots of places to chill out there. Thanks!
Barbara Fiedler
Oct 26, 2020 -
Hi! Thank you for this site! It’s wonderful. We have a light in our bathroom that is never turned off. Because of this, we get up to ten lizards on the bathroom window. I love it. Of course, we see the underside of these creatures, so we can tell who has had a good night catching bugs and who hasn’t. You can actually see the full tummies! So last night when no one showed up, it got me to wondering if they were safe when it is cold! That’s how I found you. You have made me feel very relieved. I really enjoy watching them do their job. And because I am very terrified of spiders, I am appreciative of their work! They do get in the house, but catching them is almost impossible.
A funny story, sad but funny. Our Weimaraner puppy caught one once, she had it in her mouth and before I got to her she swallowed. If you can imagine a funny look on a dog’s face!!! You could almost imagine a live critter crawling around in her stomach. We were horrified and trying to get her to open her mouth, but of course, it was too late. My grandmother used to pay my brothers a dollar a lizard to catch them and get rid of them. She never caught on to the fact they kept catching the same on over and over. She was really afraid of them. I love every living animal, except spiders.
I did have a question about helping the lizards through the winter, but it has been answered here already. Thank you so much. I live in Central Texas and our lizards are grayish/tan. Don’t know what kind they are, but just a common ole lizard! The night before last was the final time to see them.
LAJUS CAROLINE
Dec 4, 2020 -
Hello, I’m glad to have found this site from which I have been reading most posts. I live in Corsica in a mid-mountain area where the summers are very hot (100) and winters quite cold, below freezing every night, and sometimes during the day. There are always some Mediterranean geckos on the ceiling of my balcony in summer at night and hiding behind my shutters when I open them in the morning. A few years ago twice in a row in two years one had elected shelter in my bedroom, with one of them hiding right at the top of my clothes closet among my jumpers. Both stayed for 5 or 6 months and I never thought much about it, as I like geckos anyway and my ceilings are high. I assumed when the weather got warm again they moved out when I left the window open.
This year one has come into my son’s bedroom last October. I left the windows open many times, but it stayed put. The bedroom is mostly unoccupied as my son leaves partly in mainland France.
The nights have been getting colder and colder as the mountains around us are getting snowned up (whereas the coast around the island has warm weather) and I am getting worried about the little lad or lass.It has moved away from AC used to heat up the room to the opposite room. It’s not moving and I don’t know what to do. I don’t think putting it outside will be the solution, although for the moment the temp is around 46 during the day. I’m afraid it’s going to starve to death. I enticed a fly into the room 2 days ago and have found no trace of it since, but the gecko doesn’t seem to have moved. I’m also afraid it might die of thirst.
I would be grateful for someone to answer me as I have been looking for answers for hours both on French & English-speaking sites.
Looking forward for an answer,
C.
mjadmin
Dec 6, 2020 -
Your lizards sound like lovely friends! If you’re concerned about this little guy getting enough water, you could take a mister (a water bottle that sprays) and spray the area around its head. Lizards lick water droplets; they don’t drink standing water – so this would provide him the water he needs. You might also try to find small beetle larvae (pet stores in the US often sell these as “mealworms”) and place those near his head. Mealworms move slowly, so even a sluggish lizard should have a chance to catch them if he’s hungry. Best of luck!
Fig
Dec 9, 2020 -
Like so many others, I have come here to try to learn more about how or if to help a lizard that is in my house amd doesn’t seem to be moving around as much as I wish it would.
The lizard may be feeling a little cold, but my heart is so warmed by seeing how many other people care about these creatures, and even more than that, how steadfast, patient, and helpful Michele Johnson has been in answering our questions over and over for years!
Maybe it is a small thing, or maybe it is the most important thing in the world, to seek to understand and help our felllow beings like this.
Thank you.
mjadmin
Dec 9, 2020 -
Thank you for this note. I’m so grateful for your kind words. I, too, am encouraged by how many people are concerned for these animals!
Alexander Park
Dec 19, 2020 -
I have some Greater Short Horned Lizards I would like to hibernate then release into the wild next year (I live to far from their natural habitat to do it this fall, some idiot caught them and I raised them.) They were caught in their northern range in Canada, where temperatures reach -40. Does it matter then for the temp should they hibernate in colder temps? How do you suggest I cool the animals my basement is quite warm in the winter, I heat my house with a wood stove.
mjadmin
Dec 23, 2020 -
I’m not an expert on horned lizard biology, so I suggest you reach out to the herpetologists working with these lizards at the Fort Worth or San Antonio Zoos. (There are definitely lots more folks who could answer your questions, but those at the zoos might be easiest to contact.) Best of luck!
ADITYA SHARMA
Dec 22, 2020 -
do lizard change colour to avsorb heat in winters
mjadmin
Dec 23, 2020 -
This is a great question, and one I’m really interested in. A student in my lab did a study that explored this question in the summer, but the data didn’t support the hypothesis of color being associated with temperature when it’s hot. From my own anecdotal observations, I suspect that your hypothesis is true though – that in the winter, they’re often brown to absorb more heat. We need to test that idea!
Where Do Lizards Go At Night? – Crate and Basket
Feb 6, 2021 -
[…] http://lizardsandfriends.org/?p=596 […]
Meredith Costanza
Feb 18, 2021 -
Hi, I found a lizard outside in Mississippi. We have had ice storm conditions so there is snow and ice outdoors. He was on the sidewalk and had turned a black color. I brought him inside when I noticed he was still alive. I thought he was dead due to the cold. Since he is a bit warmed up now, he is moving and looks normal. I am not sure what to give him to eat as he has been hanging out in my shower. I gave him some leaves and shallow water but there are no insects around to give him. I am wondering if I should put him back outside to hibernate or if the cold would kill him. I figure once he feels better, he will climb out of my shower. Can you give me some advice?
mjadmin
Feb 20, 2021 -
Hi Meredith, yes, it’s been terribly cold for small lizards in the southern US this past week. Lizards don’t eat much in the winter, so food isn’t the primary concern for them. But if you kept the lizard indoors until the temps are above freezing, that would probably give him the best chance to survive. Best of luck!
Keith
Mar 15, 2021 -
I have had a green anole around my bedroom/bathroom who has been getting more and more familiar and showing signs of trust. I bought a heating pad and some stone tiles that all arrived yesterday. I went to add them to the bathroom because I noticed she (i think) has been spending more time in a single spot than when she first arrived a few months ago. I also caught a live bug, i forget the type, but i looked it up andthat i read they were a commmon part of their anoles’ diet around here (new Orleans). I placed the bug nearby and she was on it instantly, nose just millimeters away. But she stayed like that. She looks so thin, i hoped she would go for it. But she just stared at it. I steamed up the room with the shower to would have ample humidity. I tried misting the area but she fussed at me and tried to scurry so i backed out and let her be. Today i opened the door to find her very dark red, almost black. In the same spot as i left her. She’s stiff. I am an EMT and i understand that when mammals are in rigor they are dea and not going to come back. Unless they are frozen. Then rules are not dead until Warm and dead. Of course it’s not mammal. So can she be warmed and revived?
Or am i just kicking a dead Amphibious horse?
mjadmin
Mar 16, 2021 -
Hi Keith, It sounds like your little anole must be pretty sick, if not already dead. It sounds like you gave her a fighting chance, but if she’s dark and stiff, it’s probably too late. Thanks for caring for this little creature.
Mike Ruiz
Mar 26, 2021 -
Hi! What an amazing site! I’ve read over much of the Q&A you have going. It’s really nice to know there are other people who are concerned about the lizards in their yards!
I live in Austin, and as I’m sure you know we had a crazy-cold period a few weeks ago. I haven’t seen a single lizard since then, and I _think_ that by now there should be plenty. Usually in the spring and summer we have tons of anoles and Texas spiny lizards. Is it too early? Did they all die in the long freeze?
Thanks!
mjadmin
Mar 26, 2021 -
Thanks for your message, Mike! I don’t know of any systematic survey of lizards since that terrible cold, but I’ve been excited to see green anoles and spiny lizards in my own neighborhood in San Antonio the past few weeks. So, they didn’t all die, but I’m sure some must have.
Mike Ruiz
Mar 29, 2021 -
Well, in just the last few days I’ve seen one each of an anole, a gecko, and a Texas spiny lizard. I guess they just needed a few more days!
twocrows
Jul 15, 2021 -
This just happened today and I’m puzzled.
I live in Florida where we have an abundance of lizards. I noticed one lying on the floor in the house. When I got up, it didn’t run away. So I kept an eye on it — over the period of about a day and a half it moved a few body lengths — iow barely at all.
Now, it’s mid-July and the AC is on but I keep it quite high — 81 degrees during the day, 78 at night. Surely, that’s high enough for a lizard to not go sluggish, right?
Finally, I took a little broom and swept it into a dustpan [it barely moved during the operation] and took it outside. About 45 minutes later, I checked and it was gone.
A lizard WAS on the porch and, when I opened the front door, it skedaddled — standard lizard behavior. I don’t know if it was the same one or not.
So my question: 81 degrees F isn’t low enough for lizards to go into low maintenance mode, is it?
mjadmin
Jul 16, 2021 -
It sounds like your lizard was probably sick or injured. 78-81 F isn’t warm or cool enough to make a Florida lizard sluggish – that should be a comfortable temperature for it. Hopefully a short rest in your house was enough to help the little guy on its way!
Bridgette
Aug 6, 2021 -
I am in SC and have tons of lizards living in my back yard. I was curious why they like my yard so much so started reading online and found your site. Next thing I know I’ve spent my entire morning reading about lizards…something I thought I would never do. LOL Thank you so much for the info and education. 🙂
Cynthia S Williams
Aug 16, 2021 -
Hi I was wondering if you know much about Great short horn lizards.(not one of the protected species}. Found in my yard upside down. Brought into the house in July. Bought all necessary lighting/equipment necessary for lizards. Feeding it powdered crickets and harvester ants which are in Northern AZ and can be bought online. Do you know how to put a “horny toad lizard” into brumation during the winter as acquiring food supplies ie harvester ants may be delayed as supplies are limited. I can’t find info on how to put one in brumation although it is recommended for their well being and at what temperature the critter cage should be at during this time.And what does brumation look like for these fellows. Any help would be appreciated.
mjadmin
Aug 17, 2021 -
Hi, I don’t have any expertise in this area. But in general, wild animals can find the resources they need in the wild, so I would recommend returning this guy to where you found him, and giving him the chance to make his own way outdoors.
Norm
Sep 19, 2021 -
To those people trying to catch lizards in the house to release them outside. I live on 1.5 acres in N.E. Florida and I am knee deep in in lizards and this last few years increasingly so. I have the brown ones, which seem to have displaced the green ones, racers, small wriggly black ones and those with the iridescent tails. I put their abundance down to my not using insecticides. They are quite entertaining to watch. A couple of days ago I saw one leap into the air and catch a flying insect.
The brown ones frequently find their way into the house. I find the easiest way to catch them is to drop a large fluffy towel on them and then “scoop” them up by drawing the sides of the towel together. Then take the towel outside and let it drop open over a bush or near the ground. The lizard will leap out and run away unharmed.
Hope this helps.
Norm
Sep 19, 2021 -
Correction: It’s only the green lizards that have disappeared.
Kimberley Linstruth-Beckom
Dec 27, 2021 -
So glad to have found this site! About a month ago we had a green anole come in the house when someone let Luna(tic) our Siberian Husky in from her potty break in the yard. We tried for weeks to catch the anole so we could release it back outside but it took almost a full month when we finally did! The poor thing was skinny (could visibly see the rib cage) and was brown with a lot of grey overtones to it. Thankfully, I have been a fish and frog pet owner for about 40 years and had a spare tank to put the anole in so we could nurse it back to health! I’m happy to report that Frigg is getting robust after 4 short days in the tank! My question is (since we clearly have a new pet at this point because there’s no way it would survive in the wild now that it’s used to humans and a house) this… What is the best type of “flooring” and plant life for this terrarium, and where can I find it? I’m not having much luck finding stuff in our local pet store due to the pandemic. I live in Northern Texas.
Elizabeth
Mar 16, 2022 -
In love with your blog. Quick question. I have a little friend in the patio I thought fell into an empty metal planter. The morning was cold, so I moved it to a ledge with sun only to find it back in the planter in a few hours. Is this home for my lizard friend? I check on it daily and seems like it’s happy. Not sure if it gets out when I’m not looking, but i think it does! (In Tucson,AZ and think it’s an ornate tree cutie)
mjadmin
Mar 16, 2022 -
Glad you’re finding the blog helpful! It sounds like your lizard is using the planter as a refuge. I bet it gets out when it wants to!
Bonnie Buchanan
Jun 26, 2022 -
Thank You Everyone & Particularly, Michele! Because as others have stated, I no longer feel alone or so silly for wanting to create a Winterized Habitat on my porch/deck so my little Green Anole Friends can more easily survive LA Winters. I make friends w/them each year+feed them Meal Worms (or Dubia Roaches) I buy from the pet store or online. They recognize me & come out to get a feed whenever they see me..We give each other a little head nod acknowledgment *smiles* I used to use tweezers+place the meal worms on the wood, but it was too much for me to keel getting up on a wooden stand to reach the higher rafters+ended up w/meal worms crawling around free range, so I invested in an “Escape Proof” reptile feeder dish (the top edge/lip is curved back over the dish so the bugs/meal worms fall back into the dish so they can’t escape!)..
Also, if You have ANY open water containers/buckets, etc. make sure to put a wooden stick inside so anything that falls in can climb OUT! I almost cried because we didn’t and lost 2 little friends by accident! So, any water dish, make sure it isn’t deep, adding rocks to the water is a great way to make sure they don’t drown trying to get a drink!
As for the how to keep them warm during winter, I honestly haven’t figured that one out yet. I’ve considered putting a bird water feeder that attaches to the porch out/up for them, with rocks in it..so they’ll have water throughout winter, but (so will birds+they eat lizards+I’ve no desire to attract birds to my porch♀️)..I ran across some heated wiring they use for mobile home trailers to keep the piping from freezing=Certified for High Temps+have regulators You can buy for auto on/off at certain temps, but I’m no electrician, and don’t fool w/electricity, because it’s too easy to get wrong+it kills, Plus, mobile home+questionable electricity=No Thanks!
I was considering using an outlet that monitors ambient/environment temperature and when temps change higher or lower than what you’ve set, it will kick on the power & power a heater or whatever..and I have plant seedling pads (5w), but all of it isn’t graded for outside (meaning not water or weather proof), so still looking for an answer..
Because what I do NOT want to happen is what happened last year, when one anole hitched a ride inside! Poor baby, I left food (meal worms in an escape proof dish), had a heat/grow light, running humidifier, water rock bowl, etc., but Thanks to Hurricane IDA we had no electricity for a long time & were displaced during repairs..Thankfully, my Mum found, caught, and released him outside..
Currently, We have a Med sized Anole and a bunch of baby 1” Anoles this year (they seem to love my Mum’s orchid plants, likely because of all the wood, roots, pine needles..I think they were born/hatched in them) I’ve been trying to source some fruit flies (they sell them at the flightless stage so they are the right size for baby anoles+they don’t fly (unless they get too warm, then they’ll move on to the flying stage, which I don’t want to mess with)..
If anyone comes up with a successful outside winterized habitat, Plz let me know..I prefer they stay outside versus hitching a ride indoors when I bring in my tropical plants. I DO treat my tropical plants before bringing them inside+don’t want to accidentally kill my little friends..I soak the plants entire pot 15-20min until the whole pot is submerged in water+spray all leaves top+bottom..(water w/Castile soap=it kills all bugs, worms, etc, so they don’t end up in your house, but it also kills good stuff too-worms- so keep that in mind..I later re-add azomite/mycorrhizal, etc to re-invigorate the soil)..Dunno how the lizard survived that, because it WILL KILL THEM! and found one green tree frog, pulled him out and gave him a good rinse and saved him. Also, You don’t want the green anoles in your house, because they also require humidity at levels You house likely doesn’t reach during winter when your heater is running and dehumidifying your home.
Good Luck! & I hope one of us figures out how to help our little porch pals over winter a bit easier, and opt NOT to come indoors!
P.S. Yes!, I understand that Nature does NOT need our help to survive or thrive, but that doesn’t keep some of us from wanting to give it an assist occasionally (or at least, a different option to chose than inside our house.)
Bonnie Buchanan
Jun 26, 2022 -
Oh I almost forgot, If You find a Green Anole that is frozen or too cold+it’s eye area is sort of sunken in+ribs showing, as those are signs it hasn’t eaten in a while, You can help to revive it by placing it in a warm bath of Pedialite or Gatorade – liquid only as high as 1/2 it’s body height, but be careful as it could still drown easily if its nose goes under water..so You have to find a way to keep its head up out of the liquid..You can warm the liquid by boiling it on the stove or microwaving it, You want the temp LESS THAN what you would for a new burn’s baby bottle..test the liquid on the inside of your wrist but BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN YOURSELF!!..You are going for a bit warmer than lukewarm, BUT You do NOT want Warm or Hot liquid as You’ll cook/burn the little critter! You want SLOW revitalizing..so cooler than intended is better than hotter!..In between soaking You can place it on a paper towel or towel laid on a warm water bottle..
If that treatment doesn’t help, then from what I’be researched, there isn’t much You can do..
Good Luck! & Hope You Enjoy Your time with Your own Porch Pals!
Asaad
Aug 20, 2022 -
Hi, I live in Florida and we have a lot of anoles in my backyard and they come through the screened porch and hang out inside the porch. There’s really a lot of them, I enjoy spending time sitting out and watching them. They seem to be very used to me, an example is when I’m coming out there are a few of them who don’t move out of my way, even to the extent I can literally step over them and they don’t run (they’re not dead, I can see them moving their head and eyes and looking at me). Well, all of them aren’t like that but they all generally come very close and those few who I could literally reach and touch I’m that close.
My question is, I fear if they are this way around maybe the neighborhood kids, I would hate for them to be so relaxed where someone could harm them. Do you recommend I shoo them away so they don’t get too used to human interaction?
Another question, the other day i found a lizard in my garage. He did not look well at all, he was a juvenile and he looked so dry, and too skinny. I was able to catch him, what I did first was i reached my hand out to lightly flatten it on him (as I didn’t want to damage him or risk ripping his tail or anything), he sprinted about a foot away. This seemed unusual as usually when they aren’t used to me they scatter fast and far. Well I went inside and grabbed a paper and cup and retrieved him this way. I went and released him on my porch and he ran fast and far. I hope he’s OK, I will keep an eye out for him. I’m wondering if I did the right thing? Was he dying from dehydration? Should I have gotten some enclosure and fed/watered him or taken him to the vet? I feel guilty as if I should have done more.
Thanks I appreciate any response
mjadmin
Aug 23, 2022 -
Hi Asaad, Few vets have expertise with small lizards, and I wouldn’t recommend taking a wild anole to the vet for treatment. The lizard you describe did seem to be having a very bad day, but it’s not clear why – perhaps it just escaped from a neighborhood cat, or had a scary encounter with another lizard. I hope it was able to find food and water. It doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong. Thanks for your care for the little guy!