Wall Lizard

Good morning, 

This little lizard and his extended family live in Cincinnati now.  We have our share of them in our garden.

This little fellow was sunning himself on the pile of logs in our back yard.  These are the logs from the tree we had taken down a few weeks ago and, as soon as we get our act together, we will split and stack as firewood.

Back to the lizards.  These are an invasive species that a Cincinnati resident brought home from Milan, Italy, and released into his garden in Eastern Cincinnati.  Obviously, the lizards like it here.  They are named the Lazarus Lizard, not because of the biblical reference, but because of the person who brought them to the city.

From the Ohio Division of Wildlife web site:  Two lizards reportedly were brought to the Cincinnati area from northern Italy by a local resident after a vacation near Milan and were released in a backyard. The lizards now occupy an area slightly larger than two square miles, with population densities of 1,500 per acre in favorable systems. Because they have persisted for many years and survived through record-setting severe winters, they are considered permanent residents. They typically eat insects such as flies, beetles, and spiders.

 Click here for the entire article.

Lois