The outdoor air temperature is 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Needless to say, I am indoors. I played pickleball in the morning hours when the air temperature was just 86 degrees. Now I am watching a twin-spotted spiny lizard through a glass window at my home because there have been times a lizard has found its way into our home. 

I‘m watching this lizard. Is there a place where lizards sneak into our home? The few occasions a lizard has been in our home, was it walking in when we do? Or sliding in through the sliding door tracks? Or some other way? Can I discover anything while watching this one? Is it looking at me? I understand lizards can see as well or even better than humans. Wow!

Does the lizard know we have captured then released a few of their fellow lizards in our home this past year? My partner seems to have caught the most lizards … in a washcloth, a t-shirt, a napkin and a glue-board (oh that one sounds horrible!) I caught one with a bath towel. None of those captures were easy. Do you know they can run 5 feet a second for about 15 feet? When it is hot outdoors they can run fast, although in our home they seem to move faster; surely just my imagination!

Who else has stopped by … another lizard and….

For 10 minutes of time, a black-throated sparrow is here in the shade too and another lizard for a couple of minutes, then runs to the rocks. Animals are smart enough to know where to go for cooler temperatures. Lizards can burrow into the sand or hide under rocks in our backyard to escape the intense heat, but they seem to also enjoy running across our shaded area.

The other lizard ran off, but after 49 minutes of observing the first one, it now seems to pump itself up and down – no doubt showing off its strength – and then scoots off to the rocky area too. Today no lizard entered our home! The mystery remains though on how they are entering it. That’s the way it is when you live in a desert! Fun fact: lizards feed on ants, beetles, caterpillars and small lizards! No wonder the other one went running!