My intrinsic dread of snakes luckily does not extend to the other reptile family, namely lizards. Neither does that translate to any fondness, at least not initially. The change however is gradual, after being exposed to the wilderness and nature, where reptiles as small as lizards live. As my knowledge about them accumulates over the time, so are my feelings towards them. My neutral stance started to tilt up when they appeared in my backyard a few years ago.
My backyard is small. When I first moved in the new home, the backyard was bare earth and the clay soil was as hard as rocks. As an enthusiastic grower, I tried all means to transform the soil, digging and composting and tilling. Leaves are purposely left over the surface, to protect the earth from being naked and baked by the sun. Years of hard work brought hearteningly rich soil, where plants are grown sprawlingly, along with insects and lizards. This unkempt backyard may look imperfect to humans, it must be perfect in lizards’ eyes, and for years, it is home to them.
Lizards are territorial. Like lions fighting ferociously for their territory, lizards are just as brave chasing off the intruders. Hence it is more likely to see one lizard living reclusively in the area, but if it happens that two lizards co-exist peacefully, lying side by side, they must be mating. However muscular the male lizards are when practicing their pushups, they are interestingly gentle and timid at courtship, approaching a female one gingerly.
Since April, my backyard has been frequented by a smaller-sized lizard, who clocks in and out every day, expectedly basking in the sun or lurking in the bushes for food. Until summer comes, when it is too hot to stay in the scorching sun, the lizard knowingly retreats to the shade in the afternoon. But don’t ever be fooled by its lethargic outlook, the lizard is in fact a speedy running in face of danger.
I was gifted under the pandemic the opportunities to sit in front of the window and watch every living thing outside, including a reptile as common as lizards. Their presence is a boon to the garden, and to me, as I enjoy its quiet company in a place called home, to me and to the lizard.
回复 '7grizzly' 的评论 : 回复 '7grizzly' 的评论 : Thanks for pointing it out, my friend. I did not feel it very right to use the word "disguise" somehow but did not think again. It's good to have you out there reading and correcting.:)
It is very interesting to know the word "sauria", referring to reptiles like lizards, dinosaurs or crocodiles. So lizards and crocodiles do have something in common, at least when tracing to the origin (?) or at least they are all reptile. Thanks, my friend, for reading an comments.
7grizzly 发表评论于
Instead of 'disguised,' I'd use 'fooled.'
I was only interested in 'lizard' the word from which I traced 'saurian,' which shares the root 'sauros' with the names of many larger reptiles. Then there is the name 'Sauron,' the main antagonist in Lord of the Rings.
太有意思了。 暖冬的后院一定是非常适合这些 lizards - environment，food，friendly people。 记得 它们是卵生，专门去查了一下，确实如此。 但少数品种是胎生。
“However muscular the male lizards are when practicing their pushups, they are interestingly gentle and timid at courtship, approaching a female one gingerly.”。 haha, seems better than some male human being, isn't it?
My intrinsic dread of snakes luckily does not extend to the other reptile family, namely lizards. Neither does that translate to any fondness, at least not initially. The change however is gradual, after being exposed to the wilderness and nature, where reptiles as small as lizards live. As my knowledge about them accumulates over the time, so are my feelings towards them. My neutral stance started to tilt up when they appeared in my backyard a few years ago.
My backyard is small. When I first moved in the new home, the backyard was bare earth and the clay soil was as hard as rocks. As an enthusiastic grower, I tried all means to transform the soil, digging and composting and tilling. Leaves are purposely left over the surface, to protect the earth from being naked and baked by the sun. Years of hard work brought hearteningly rich soil, where plants are grown sprawlingly, along with insects and lizards. This unkempt backyard may look imperfect to humans, it must be perfect in lizards’ eyes, and for years, it is home to them.
Lizards are territorial. Like lions fighting ferociously for their territory, lizards are just as brave chasing off the intruders. Hence it is more likely to see one lizard living reclusively in the area, but if it happens that two lizards co-exist peacefully, lying side by side, they must be mating. However muscular the male lizards are when practicing their pushups, they are interestingly gentle and timid at courtship, approaching a female one gingerly.
Since April, my backyard has been frequented by a smaller-sized lizard, who clocks in and out every day, expectedly basking in the sun or lurking in the bushes for food. Until summer comes, when it is too hot to stay in the scorching sun, the lizard knowingly retreats to the shade in the afternoon. But don’t ever be fooled by its lethargic outlook, the lizard is in fact a speedy running in face of danger.
I was gifted under the pandemic the opportunities to sit in front of the window and watch every living thing outside, including a reptile as common as lizards. Their presence is a boon to the garden, and to me, as I enjoy its quiet company in a place called home, to me and to the lizard.
