Lizard?

Kitsune · Post by **Kitsune** » 2004-07-26 10:26pm

Ok, at work I saw an animal today. It had the same basic body shape as a Gecko Lizard and appeared to be brown or redish brown. The animal was pretty small, four inches long maybe. I am wondering if Gecko lizards (or a related species) can be found in the southern Virginia or if it is an escaped "Pet." I know some people have gecko lizards in their house to deal with cockroaches.

Did a quick search but could not find anything really useful

Kitsune · Post by **Kitsune** » 2004-07-26 10:37pm

Wanted add that while I am near water (ocean / brackish), I am not in a very wet area so I don't think it is an amphibian. Soon after I saw it, it hid under some wood steps.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-07-26 10:43pm

Kitsune wrote:Ok, at work I saw an animal today. It had the same basic body shape as a Gecko Lizard and appeared to be brown or redish brown. The animal was pretty small, four inches long maybe. I am wondering if Gecko lizards (or a related species) can be found in the southern Virginia or if it is an escaped "Pet." I know some people have gecko lizards in their house to deal with cockroaches.

Did a quick search but could not find anything really useful

I cant think of anything of that color that is a gecko, could be a salamander, hold on, let me check my books....

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-07-26 10:44pm

Kitsune wrote:Wanted add that while I am near water (ocean / brackish), I am not in a very wet area so I don't think it is an amphibian. Soon after I saw it, it hid under some wood steps.

You dont necessarily have to be in a wet area, so long as there is moisture under rotting logs and such.

Majin Gojira · Post by **Majin Gojira** » 2004-07-26 10:45pm

There are hundreds of kinds of Geckos....and I believe a few are found in Virginia...at least some Lizards are...

More description of the lizard is needed...like shape of the head, tail, body, etc.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-07-26 10:52pm

Could you hunt it down and get a photo?

Kitsune · Post by **Kitsune** » 2004-07-26 11:00pm

Majin Gojira wrote:There are hundreds of kinds of Geckos....and I believe a few are found in Virginia...at least some Lizards are...

More description of the lizard is needed...like shape of the head, tail, body, etc.

Hmm, I saw it from about six feet away so my ability to see details is not very good. I think I may have narrowed it down to a could of possibilities. It did appear to be very slender and did have limbs so it is not a glass lizard. It did not appear to have stripes either.

I found a website on virginia lizards soon after sending the second message.

This is one possibility:

Little Brown Skink

Picture

I cannot completely rule out salamanders.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-07-26 11:06pm

A skink is the most likely possibility.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-07-26 11:11pm

it is either the skink, or possibly a red eft(juvinile red spotted newt)
http://www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/sp ... 0065-2.jpg

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-07-26 11:12pm

could also be a dusky salamander, but they are aquatic, so it is unlikely.

Kitsune · Post by **Kitsune** » 2004-07-26 11:33pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote:it is either the skink, or possibly a red eft(juvinile red spotted newt)
http://www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/sp ... 0065-2.jpg

Hmm, it was in direct sunlight so that is unlikely. I also did not see any spots.

The Southern Dusky Salamander has the range where I work (Norfolk Virginia) but I don't think the head looked like it and the front legs seemed to be bigger. Again, it was out during the day which seems to be something it avoids.

Kitsune · Post by **Kitsune** » 2004-07-26 11:35pm

Another note, according to my co-worker, it grabbed a spider. I did not see it but the skink eats spiders. She wanted to step on it and I said no.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2004-07-26 11:39pm

I'm pretty sure it's not a gecko. They're mostly Old World. I don't think it would be an amphibian either. I say it's either a skink or an anole. If it looked vaguely like a gecko, it might be an anole. Problem is, I don't know if they're real common there.

Kitsune · Post by **Kitsune** » 2004-07-26 11:47pm

Lazy Raptor wrote:I'm pretty sure it's not a gecko. They're mostly Old World. I don't think it would be an amphibian either. I say it's either a skink or an anole. If it looked vaguely like a gecko, it might be an anole. Problem is, I don't know if they're real common there.

I thought it might be an escapee as far as being a Gecko

...I did not see any Anoles listed for Virginia. Skink seems to be the far most likely creature. The water nearby has fish in it so that also is against amphibians

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2004-07-27 09:05am

Run! Gila monster! Ahhh!

And it could be one of those red salamanders. I've heard anecdotes of them being found in firewood and jumping out of fireplaces.

Mayabird · Post by **Mayabird** » 2004-07-27 09:19am

Old blue-tailed skinks turn a nice brown to reddish brown, sometimes with a red patch under their heads. When I read that description that's the first thing I thought of, but of course I could be wrong.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-07-27 11:21am

Shroom Man 777 wrote:Run! Gila monster! Ahhh!

And it could be one of those red salamanders. I've heard anecdotes of them being found in firewood and jumping out of fireplaces.

No, those are Fire Salamanders in Europe. Though all tey are doing is escaping the heat of the flames...

ukamikazu · Post by **ukamikazu** » 2004-07-27 12:35pm

http://www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txher ... cicus.html

I bet this is what you found based on your descriptions so far.
They're pretty cute and they control pests like you wouldn't believe. Kids love 'em, dogs and cats ignore 'em and they reproduce rapidly. I've seen some as long as 8 inches from nose to tail tip.

Also, something not mentioned in the article, they can change their skin color and texture to approximate whatever surface they're on.

And I do believe you are in the right area to host them.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-07-27 12:41pm

I have a rather large group of them that live outside my frint door.

ukamikazu · Post by **ukamikazu** » 2004-07-27 12:46pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote:I have a rather large group of them that live outside my frint door.

Tell me about it. I am pretty sure my geckos number vaery near a thousand or just slightly more.

I can hardly walk anywhere there is a light source at night without startling a couple of dozen of 'em. Of course, watching them do their kamikaze dive to the ground when they're spooked is pretty hilarious.

Kitsune · Post by **Kitsune** » 2004-07-27 04:34pm

It came out again today. I was not able to get a picture but it had a brown to burgandy body with red / orange stripes with a colorful head. It also had a blue to blue /grey tail. The tail seems to point it out as being a Skink. I think it is a juvenile five line skink or southeastern five line skink (could be an adult female of teh Southeastern)

Five line Skink

Southeastern Five Line Skink

Mayabird · Post by **Mayabird** » 2004-07-27 04:52pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote:
Shroom Man 777 wrote:Run! Gila monster! Ahhh!

And it could be one of those red salamanders. I've heard anecdotes of them being found in firewood and jumping out of fireplaces.
No, those are Fire Salamanders in Europe. Though all tey are doing is escaping the heat of the flames...

Ah, is that where the old fairy tales about salamanders being creatures of fire come from? I never understood before how cute little moist amphibians could be thought of as fireborn before.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-07-27 05:23pm

Mayabird wrote:
Alyrium Denryle wrote:
Shroom Man 777 wrote:Run! Gila monster! Ahhh!

And it could be one of those red salamanders. I've heard anecdotes of them being found in firewood and jumping out of fireplaces.
No, those are Fire Salamanders in Europe. Though all tey are doing is escaping the heat of the flames...
Ah, is that where the old fairy tales about salamanders being creatures of fire come from? I never understood before how cute little moist amphibians could be thought of as fireborn before.

Yep, that is where that comes from.

Ender · Post by **Ender** » 2004-07-27 05:49pm

Probably an Anole. I've seen some of them around here since I arrived.

Kitsune · Post by **Kitsune** » 2004-08-27 04:27pm

I don't know if this is considered thread Necromancy but I was able to get a picture of the little beasty and thought I woudl post it:

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Lizard?

Lizard?

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