Sungazer Lizard

Last night we had an impressive ice storm. On my way home from work at one of the stop signs the whole car slid sideways into the curb. Driving will be fun today.

Art

16hrs

Today

mold the skull

work on the titmouse

Animal

Photo credit Joachim S Muller

The Sungazer Lizard (Cordylus giganteus) from South Africa can live in colonies of up to 40 individuals. They generally each have their own burrow within a colony though adults will share burrows with juveniles. There are also a few species of small frogs that will cohabitate with them. They have a defensive strategy not unlike a uromastyx (I'm assuming you are familiar with these and have had Stuart show you a slightly grumpy one at the necropolis if you know me, if not they are cool lizards as well), they will cram their bodies into a crevice and puff up their bodies while whacking the predator with their spiny tail. They also have another odd defense mechanism wherein they bite their own tail and curl up into a ball. Some people keep these lizards as pets and report they have good temperaments but only recently have they worked out how to breed them in captivity so they are very expensive but perhaps in the future they will become more common.

Picture of a Sungazer lizard biting it's own tail to curl itself into a ball.