Lizard-Things (rated, place, dry)

[movingtohouston]

Yep, creepy though. The tails move still after they fall off. Ick.... I guess it's their only defense. Poor things.

[jmarkey]

Thanks to everyone for all the critter information. I'm not anti-gecko - my husband and I spend a lot of time sitting outside watching them chow down on various insects. (He also likes those peepy toad things that chirp at night. They answer him if he whistles at them.)

There's a lot of wildlife here that I get a kick out of. Egrets, herons, armadillos. But I don't necessarily want them in the house. Lately the geckos seem to have a master plan for dashing through the back door. I was just wondering if they can actually survive in the house or if the lack of food would kill them off.

I also appreciate the suggestions for capture and release, but it ain't happening. Even if I was inclined to, they're lightning fast and the idea of severed tails is REALLY unappealing.

[tstone]

Just pick up those detached tails and throw them into the bushes... plant food.

I don't think you'll have to worry about egrets, herons or armadillos coming into the house. A stray armadillo might dig under the fence and get into your backyard. That is a rare event but something to keep an eye out for if you have dogs... they could get ripped a new one or two by those.

Sounds like you're close to the coast if you have herons. I've been watching a very shy, nocturnal one nest in our trees for the past 2 summers now. Possums are a plague down here as well. Possible a baby one will be sitting on top of your car in the garage one night. If you see poop appear all the sudden and start spreading all over the garage floor, workbench, etc there might be one trapped in the garage. They can enter the house but usually through the attic if there is an opening. Do NOT use rate poison for these.

[jmarkey]

I probably didn't phrase that very well. I'm not worried about the other critters coming in. The points I was trying to make were:

1. I really do like these small little guys. Just not in my home.

2. You can admire an animal a great deal outside. Doesn't mean you want to be face to face with it in your kitchen.

People have written how beneficial lizards and such are and I agree. But my original question was - can they survive indoors? I'm up to about five now.

[tstone]

Reptiles & amphibians won't survive for very long unless you have standing water out for them in your house. Sounds like you might find the dehydrated remains of one on your floor one day. Not a big deal. Invest in a Dyson vacuum so you can suck those up with the hose, as well as any bugs or beetles that might get trapped between the carpet and baseboard and you should be fine.

[AlexTx]

Originally Posted by jmarkey

People have written how beneficial lizards and such are and I agree. But my original question was - can they survive indoors? I'm up to about five now.

Maybe you could leave out a little water bowl and food bowl for them. And, if you're feeling extra nice, a "lizard lagoon" Food and Water Dishes: Reptile Lizard Lagoons by ESU Coralife at PETdiscounters.com (http://www.petdiscounters.com/c11/Lizard-Lagoons-p1331.html - broken link)

[jmarkey]

Those are pretty cute! I feel kind of bad for the green lizards that are out during the day. When we go long stretches without rain, a couple of them will gather round while I'm watering outside.

Maybe I'll grab a lagoon or two at PetSmart this weekend. For outdoors. Once they come in, all bets are off.

[Oildog]

I've seen two types of lizards in my house. The first was on my ground floor, it had crawled into a shoe (which I always shake before putting on) in the entryway. It looked browinsh geen and had stripes the length of his 2" body.

The other was light or white and made it up to my third floor bathroom. It was hiding in/behind the commode.

Do I need to call the pest control folks?

[cinnamon_toast]

We had a pest guy come out for a gecko exclusion. Basically he just sealed up some monster gaps we had between our fascia and the exterior stone walls. I am OK with the geckos, but they were going up into my cool, stone workroom and relieving themselves up there. FYI you can discern gecko poop from other types of poop (bat, mouse) because it has a white tip.

Our dog loves to chase and eat them. When the gecko drops its tail, the tail continues to writhe and squirm for several minutes. Doggy always takes the bait and the gecko gets away.

[sheikh.yerbouti]

I would call pest control if said lizards were trying to sell you car insurance.