Yes I have! No clue why, but the population has increased. I love them, 'cause I think they scavange the garden for bad stuff/critters.

I was seeing more and more younger or small ones.
Then the road runner caught a finch or sparrow in mid-air and they all left...or got caught.

My husband, otherwise known as St. Francis of Assisi, feeds them mealworms. If you have sandals on you risk having a voracious bluebelly skitter over and nip your toes to make the toes cough up mealworms. One chased a student of mine down the driveway the other day.

Mike has a whole assembly of lizards who come out in the late afternoon and sit on the patio with him. While they do push-ups at one another, the scrub jays sitting on the arm of his chair are brapping away after conning him out of a few worms. Scrub jays say "brap, brap-brap-brap" when they are content.

Just want to point out that the lizards are not just decorative, they control Lyme disease:

http://articles.sfgate.com/1998-04-17/news/17719824_1_lyme-disease-ticks-disease-bacteria

Go lizards!

There have always been a good number of lizards in my garden, but there seems to be a population boom this year.

Every now and then I see a big maroon colored one.

MAROON? You mean, like, burgundy-- or dark red?
Sheesh, that sounds like an escaped exotic. Try to get a picture of that for us, would you Dis? There's nothing like that in my lizard book.

We had a European finch at our finch feeder once, and I thought that was cool. Nowhere near as cool as a maroon lizard.

Renee

We don't have any lizards at all. Plenty of frogs and toads though, and an occasional snake.

Lots of lizards here in north county San Diego but about the same as last year. I do protect them and provide habitat. Dogs and cats can put a dent in the population. It takes some species years to recover. Road runners also snack on lizards.

Some Granite Spiney lizards might be considered maroon. About the only place you'll see them is perched on top of bolders. The color can vary a lot and varies from male to female.
http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/pages/s.orcutti.html

Also somewhat rare and possibly considered maroon is the Aligator lizard. Mature ones are about a foot long. These guys are likely to be seen along the ground wandering through vegetation. You might mistake it for a snake if you only get a quick view. Lots of color variation with these too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Alligator Lizard

Renee....so funny! Does he wear a brown robe belted with a long rope? (Oh well--You don't have to worry about his Halloween costume any more!) I once released a bag of crickets into the garden for the lizards. Wish I could get a pic but they are too skittish.

Mine are probably the Western Fence, Zeus, because the juveniles don't look like the Alligator type. Great link to the pictures.

Memory Lane--I grew up in So. CA. When we were kids we used to find Horned Toads in vacant lots. No more of those. Do they exist anywhere still?

Horned Toads in vacant lots. No more of those. Do they exist anywhere still?

They still exist here. I see them once or twice a year or less.

Zeuspaul

Mike (sans long robe) and I saw a baby one a few weeks ago in a sandy wash in Happy Camp (Moorpark). I told him I was going to see me a horny toad, and sure enough I found one. They get a fungal infection in moist conditions, so as suburbia spread, the horny toad pop. shrunk.

Great web site, Zeuspaul.
Renee

3 years ago we got a puppy who grew up to hunt anything that moves, so my fence lizard population really thinned out, or moved on, but i am seeing more small ones this summer in the large dog-free areas of our property. i'm gonna go get them some pet store crickets this week. good idea, socks, thanks.

i also want to get some mealworms for my jays because that's such a fun mental picture of 'st. francis' and his jays on the patio, renee.
min

I have had meaningful experiences with lizards over the years. Last week I met one on my back walk and stopped to admire him or her. It lifted itself up on it legs and turned it's head sideways to look at me. Then went to the potty and left me with you know what!! Penny

Min- start with peanuts in the shell for the jays. Toss one to a jay and back off, then get them closer and closer every day. Eventually they will take the peanuts from your hand. We had one that took them from your hand on the fly!

Then, if you put a few mealworms in a terracotta saucer, they will perch on the edge and eat them. That's when they brap.

The lizards don't really have to be "trained." You just toss a mealworm to one and they pretty much get the idea after two or three tasty snacks.

Renee

OK thanks, renee- "my" jays are so used to me already that i think that getting them to come close for peanuts will be pretty easy.
when i go out the door i always feel like there are eyes watching me from the trees and shrubs everywhere, and when i leave toast crusts on the hedge by the deck for them, i can hear them spreading the news. their voices used to annoy me but i have discovered that they are such characters that now they always make me smile! min

Next time you get up close to a fence lizard (bluebelly) try to look into its ear. It's truly amazing. You can see right through their little heads. I'm not kidding- if the lizard is backlit you can see light.
Renee

Wow...and I've met more than a few people like that also.....