Tree Gators...???

[Larwyn]

I was mowing the back yard today. Just riding along on the John Deere and apparently scared up a bug near a small pecan tree. The very large lizard jumped out of that tree ran right up to the tractor and grabbed a large June bug. The lizard is a good 12 to 14 inches long the body is probably around 1 1/2" wide and 6" long. He sounded heavy when he hit the ground after bailing out of that tree. Anybody know what this thing is?

He was not really very afraid of me, I got several pictures after he got back on the tree.

[fireaunt]

at first I thought it was a horned toad but I don't think so --I think 12-14 inches is too big for one plus the head isn't quite right and tail is too long. They aren't in this area anymore. The one you found has amazing camoflage (sp) He looks like he has been eating good.

[mandy]

Is this the lizard you saw?

http://www.californiaherps.com/identification/lizardsid/s.magister.id.html

mandy

[Sonetpro]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_spiny_lizard

[Dean_A]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_spiny_lizard

That sure looks like the guy. This was my favorite part...

"The Texas spiny lizard also has a peculair habit when challenged by another male for their territory. The two males will have a push up contest, or so it seems. Both males will begin doing push ups until one of them gives up and runs away."

I'm glad I'm not a Texas spiny lizard. I'm afraid I would be homeless...

[Larwyn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_spiny_lizard

Looks like you nailed it Steve. According to that write up they are common in Texas, Oklahoma, and Mexico. I've lived and hunted in Texas for most of my 59 years and this is the first one I have seen. Guess I'm not very observant.....

[Sonetpro]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_spiny_lizard

Looks like you nailed it Steve. According to that write up they are common in Texas, Oklahoma, and Mexico. I've lived and hunted in Texas for most of my 59 years and this is the first one I have seen. Guess I'm not very observant.....

You are a lucky man living in Kerrville. We used to have a hunting lease about 20 miles west of Kerrville. We always came home with a deer. Didn't know what kind you were going to get but knew you would come home with something.
I shot a Chocolate fallow there one time. It was 300 lbs on the hoof. Had antlers like a moose.

[Larwyn]

You are a lucky man living in Kerrville. We used to have a hunting lease about 20 miles west of Kerrville. We always came home with a deer. Didn't know what kind you were going to get but knew you would come home with something.
I shot a Chocolate fallow there one time. It was 300 lbs on the hoof. Had antlers like a moose.

Steve,
I live inside the city limits now cannot shoot in my own back yard, but here is a look over my back fence a few days ago, the large field back there belongs to the local university. There are a couple of real trophy bucks back there this year but they are camera shy I reckon. This bunch was grazing by and paid me no attention but the bucks are a bit more skittish. There are probably around 50 Whitetails back there and a couple of solid white Fallow deer, along with a few Axis. In fact my back yard fence is 8 feet tall to keep the deer out . If I leave a gate open for 20 miutes, I end up with deer in the yard.....

[CAJUN LADY]

You are a lucky man living in Kerrville. We used to have a hunting lease about 20 miles west of Kerrville. We always came home with a deer. Didn't know what kind you were going to get but knew you would come home with something.
I shot a Chocolate fallow there one time. It was 300 lbs on the hoof. Had antlers like a moose.

Steve,
I live inside the city limits now cannot shoot in my own back yard, but here is a look over my back fence a few days ago, the large field back there belongs to the local university. There are a couple of real trophy bucks back there this year but they are camera shy I reckon. This bunch was grazing by and paid me no attention but the bucks are a bit more skittish. There are probably around 50 Whitetails back there and a couple of solid white Fallow deer, along with a few Axis. In fact my back yard fence is 8 feet tall to keep the deer out . If I leave a gate open for 20 miutes, I end up with deer in the yard.....

That's beautiful.

[Lesbest]

Boy---don't you southern boys know anything???

Thats not a lizard-- that is the southern armored squirrel

Kinda like the possom and the armadillo, same thing only one has that southern armor.

guess they need the extra protection because they don't get to hide for months in the snow.

If you need anymore answers just axe me--I know it all.

Les

[swissarmygirl]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_spiny_lizard

That sure looks like the guy. This was my favorite part...

"The Texas spiny lizard also has a peculair habit when challenged by another male for their territory. The two males will have a push up contest, or so it seems. Both males will begin doing push ups until one of them gives up and runs away."

I'm glad I'm not a Texas spiny lizard. I'm afraid I would be homeless...

Sounds like some guys I've seen in bars here in NJ.

[satch]

You might want to be careful one of those don't mistaken your leg for a tree, especially while you are wareing your kilt!!

[Larwyn]

That's beautiful.

Yes it is, we only moved here about a year ago. For the first couple of months after we bought the house, my wife could not get me to come in from the patio. I was always out there watching the deer play.......

[asianflava]

When I read the title of the thread I thought you were talking about these:
http://www.treegator.com/

I have some and they work great, especially when we would have our annual water restrictions in TX. We were on a private water system and the next neighborhood was on city water. We had restrictions all the time when they didn't, go figure.

I thought the lizard you were talking about was a horny toad. I was in TX for a while before I realized the Horny Toad wasn't a toad at all.

[dmb90260]

a He looks like he has been eating good.

They really like deer meat.