Texas Spiny Lizard

[AndyS]

My neighbor's cats bring her gifts, alive. The wonder is that they are not harmed. Snakes have not a single scale out of place, the birds fly around the house and the mice scurry away when she releases them. This weekend's gift was a Spiny Lizard. I built a set in my studio and here s/he is!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. These are both wonderful photos as they show the spiny scales to perfection!

I had to look twice at the first photo to really see the lizard. The camouflage is nearly perfect. Seeing the eyes allowed me to see the whole lizard.

Ya done good!

[Goonch]

2. 👇👇👇👁️👁️

[yellowdogintexas]

3. Is that Harry from Death in Paradise?

Harry and the Commissioner are our favorite characters

[hermetic]

4. I love that show!

And Harry is my favorite, too. That's not him. Harry is skinnier. I think Harry is an anole, who live in that area.

[txwhitedove]

5. Ha, thought it would be Ted Cruz, but that creature is beautiful.

[Gato Moteado]

6. beautiful!

[AndyS]

7. Coming from you that's high praise!

There's an advantage to having a studio with a refrigerator next to it.

I've found that in many cases if I handle them enough they relax and I don't need the cold to slow them down. It gives them a more natural pose, notably with their heads raised although this particular lizard naturally hugs the surface of the bark. It makes them invisible.

[Gato Moteado]

8. these guys aren't easy to photograph....

...we had a ton of them in austin and they were fast. they don't sit still around people.

the frogs generally don't move around too fast but they tend to be photophobic since they're nocturnal....at night you're using a modeling light and they're constantly turning their back to you. these lizards are good with bright light because they sit in the sun all day and soak it up....but because of that, they're always really juiced up.