On 26/7/04 21:02, in article ,
" wrote:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:32:17 +0200, Tim Challenger
wrote:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:26:57 +0200, wrote:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:08:35 +0200, Tim Challenger
wrote:

I'd be surprised if even the cats could actually catch a whole one.
Possibly the twiching tail.

Little green frogs from the neighbour's pond spend whole days being
caught by the cats and returned by us to the pond. So far the only
dead frog was discovered on the pillow next to my wife's head one
morning. The cats must have seen the Godfather.

Lizards are significantly more agile than frogs.

and a lot rarer, I've lived here for 38 years and never seen one, not
even in the local dunes. I have seen a rare three legged tortoise in
our garden. I saw lizards in Hampshire when I was a kid.
If I visit Rome or Greece I see one within an hour of arriving. In
French Guyana I had one in my hotel room.

Lizards live in stone walls in Jersey and I've often seen them basking in
the sun in the Mont Orgueil area. Now what I *really, really* want are
Geckoes....... ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 20:42:59 +0100, Janet Baraclough..
wrote:

The message
from Tim Challenger contains these words:



I'd be surprised if even the cats could actually catch a whole one.

Unfortunately, they can :-(

I'm not surprised :-)
--
Martin

Franz Heymann wrote:
:: "Phil L" wrote in message
:: ...
::: Matthew Durkin wrote:
::::: I wouldn't advise trying to catch one. I cornered one in Greece
::::: as a child, and was somewhat horrified to find it dispensing
::::: with its tail (in the grip of my hand). They wriggle quite a
::::: while after the lizard is gone.
:::
::: As a keeper of reptiles, I know a little bit about this...The
::: wriggling of the shodden tail is to fool predators, they will
::: often shed it when being pursued, giving the predator a moving
::: object to attack while they make their escape.
:::
::::: They apparently grow a new tail. Quite amazing.
:::::
::::: I live just north of london. never seen a scorpion, lizard or
::::: snake in the UK. Probably for the better... :O)
:::
::: Parts of Wales have a good pupulation of snakes, I saw one there
::: as a child, about 4 foot long and a sandy beige colour, this is
::: the only wild snake I've ever seen in the UK...they are, like my
::: own snakes, very shy of people and just want to hide all the time.
::
:: The wilder parts of the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall abounds in
:: adders.
::
:: Franz

It's just a pity we can't get them to migrate into the towns and cities,
maybe the ever expanding rat population would be kept under control?

Tim Challenger wrote in news:NB8Nc.48135$KU.38352
@animal.nntpserver.com:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:26:57 +0200, wrote:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:08:35 +0200, Tim Challenger
wrote:

I'd be surprised if even the cats could actually catch a whole one.
Possibly the twiching tail.

Little green frogs from the neighbour's pond spend whole days being
caught by the cats and returned by us to the pond.

Lizards are significantly more agile than frogs.

.... when it's warm. I once found three apparently dead lizards on the path
standing like statues one frosty morning. To my surprise, when I picked
one up, it jerked like a mechanical toy.

As I wasn't sure if this was postmortem action or life, I brought them
inside and warmed them up in an old fishtank by the window. Once they were
back in action, and the afternoon had warmed the paving stones, I let them
out on the path and they vanished like lightening.

If a cat had got hold of them when they were paralysed, they'd have been
munched.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

On 26/7/04 22:35, in article
51, "Victoria Clare"
wrote:

Tim Challenger wrote in news:NB8Nc.48135$KU.38352
@animal.nntpserver.com:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:26:57 +0200, wrote:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:08:35 +0200, Tim Challenger
wrote:

I'd be surprised if even the cats could actually catch a whole one.
Possibly the twiching tail.

Little green frogs from the neighbour's pond spend whole days being
caught by the cats and returned by us to the pond.

Lizards are significantly more agile than frogs.

... when it's warm. I once found three apparently dead lizards on the path
standing like statues one frosty morning. To my surprise, when I picked
one up, it jerked like a mechanical toy.

As I wasn't sure if this was postmortem action or life, I brought them
inside and warmed them up in an old fishtank by the window. Once they were
back in action, and the afternoon had warmed the paving stones, I let them
out on the path and they vanished like lightening.

If a cat had got hold of them when they were paralysed, they'd have been
munched.


Just a thought *and* a question. WOULD a cat have got them? IOW, were they
playing dead to keep predators away? Maybe and perhaps?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

Sacha wrote in
:

On 26/7/04 22:35, in article
51, "Victoria Clare"
wrote:

I once found three apparently dead lizards on
the path standing like statues one frosty morning. To my surprise,
when I picked one up, it jerked like a mechanical toy.

As I wasn't sure if this was postmortem action or life, I brought
them inside and warmed them up in an old fishtank by the window.
Once they were back in action, and the afternoon had warmed the
paving stones, I let them out on the path and they vanished like
lightening.

If a cat had got hold of them when they were paralysed, they'd have
been munched.


Just a thought *and* a question. WOULD a cat have got them? IOW,
were they playing dead to keep predators away? Maybe and perhaps?

I don't think they were up to moving, or surely they'd have run away
when I picked them up? I just picked them up between finger and thumb
like little plastic statuettes, at which point they each made one sad
little jerky wiggle and then froze again.

No sign of taildropping or the frantic rushing about they did later in
the day.

Possibly a cat would not have been interested in lizards that sat still
and moved only very slightly, but my feeling was that the jerky wiggle
on being first patted would probably arouse some interest, and further
patting in an attempt to get them to do it again.

One of my cats steals pencil rubbers, and rubbers don't move at all!

Though the greatest risk was probably being trodden on, as the lizards
were sat right in the middle of the path up to the house. I almost trod
on them myself.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 22:35:46 +0100, Victoria Clare wrote:

Tim Challenger wrote in news:NB8Nc.48135$KU.38352
@animal.nntpserver.com:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:26:57 +0200, wrote:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:08:35 +0200, Tim Challenger
wrote:

I'd be surprised if even the cats could actually catch a whole one.
Possibly the twiching tail.

Little green frogs from the neighbour's pond spend whole days being
caught by the cats and returned by us to the pond.

Lizards are significantly more agile than frogs.

... when it's warm. I once found three apparently dead lizards on the path
standing like statues one frosty morning. To my surprise, when I picked
one up, it jerked like a mechanical toy.

As I wasn't sure if this was postmortem action or life, I brought them
inside and warmed them up in an old fishtank by the window. Once they were
back in action, and the afternoon had warmed the paving stones, I let them
out on the path and they vanished like lightening.

If a cat had got hold of them when they were paralysed, they'd have been
munched.

Victoria

I doubt if a cat would be terribly interested in something that moved as
much as a stick.
--
Tim C.

In article , Tim Challenger
writes

I doubt if a cat would be terribly interested in something that moved as
much as a stick.

As the owner of a cat who used to hunt tea bags and broad bean pods, I
beg to differ!
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article ,
"Phil L" writes:
| :::
| ::: Parts of Wales have a good pupulation of snakes, I saw one there
| ::: as a child, about 4 foot long and a sandy beige colour, this is
| ::: the only wild snake I've ever seen in the UK...they are, like my
| ::: own snakes, very shy of people and just want to hide all the time.
| ::
| :: The wilder parts of the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall abounds in
| :: adders.
|
| It's just a pity we can't get them to migrate into the towns and cities,
| maybe the ever expanding rat population would be kept under control?

There are no snakes in the UK that are capable of tackling adult
rats. Sorry.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 08:21:06 +0100, Kay wrote:

In article , Tim Challenger
writes

I doubt if a cat would be terribly interested in something that moved as
much as a stick.

As the owner of a cat who used to hunt tea bags and broad bean pods, I
beg to differ!

Cats are obviously more stupid than I gave them credit for. I've updated my
memory bank.
--
Tim C.

"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article , Matthew Durkin
writes

snip

I live just north of london. never seen a scorpion, lizard or snake in
the
UK. Probably for the better... :O)

Slow worms in abundance when I lived in Sevenoaks. Only place I've seen
lizards is Inner Hebrides. Seen many adders- mainly the tail end
departing as fast as poss - but not yet seen a grass snake.

I must be very fortunate, as I've seen quite a few of the reptilians you
mention, in the wild, in the UK. Lots of lizards on sand dunes on the
Norfolk coast, when I was a child, one or two slow worms, plenty of adders,
and several grass snakes - including swimming specimens (no, I am not
confusing them with eels). I've yet to see a 'wild' scorpion here in the
flesh, and don't particularly want to, either :-)

Tim Challenger wrote in
:

... when it's warm. I once found three apparently dead lizards on
the path standing like statues one frosty morning. To my surprise,
when I picked one up, it jerked like a mechanical toy.

I doubt if a cat would be terribly interested in something that moved
as much as a stick.

Sticks 'jerk like a mechanical toy' where you come from, do they ?

Victoria

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 09:26:13 +0100, Victoria Clare wrote:

Tim Challenger wrote in
:

... when it's warm. I once found three apparently dead lizards on
the path standing like statues one frosty morning. To my surprise,
when I picked one up, it jerked like a mechanical toy.

I doubt if a cat would be terribly interested in something that moved
as much as a stick.

Sticks 'jerk like a mechanical toy' where you come from, do they ?

Only when I pick them up. I'd have thought most cats would have ignored an
object "standing like statues" on the ground and concentrate on something
that was moving.

--
Tim C.

In article , BAC
writes


Slow worms in abundance when I lived in Sevenoaks. Only place I've seen
lizards is Inner Hebrides. Seen many adders- mainly the tail end
departing as fast as poss - but not yet seen a grass snake.

I must be very fortunate, as I've seen quite a few of the reptilians you
mention, in the wild, in the UK. Lots of lizards on sand dunes on the
Norfolk coast, when I was a child, one or two slow worms, plenty of adders,
and several grass snakes - including swimming specimens (no, I am not
confusing them with eels). I've yet to see a 'wild' scorpion here in the
flesh, and don't particularly want to, either :-)

I was brought up in the wet west. Not so many basking places for
reptiles.


--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article , Tim Challenger
writes
On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 09:26:13 +0100, Victoria Clare wrote:

Tim Challenger wrote in
:

... when it's warm. I once found three apparently dead lizards on
the path standing like statues one frosty morning. To my surprise,
when I picked one up, it jerked like a mechanical toy.

I doubt if a cat would be terribly interested in something that moved
as much as a stick.

Sticks 'jerk like a mechanical toy' where you come from, do they ?

Only when I pick them up. I'd have thought most cats would have ignored an
object "standing like statues" on the ground and concentrate on something
that was moving.

No, IME if something looks different or smells different, or wasn't
there when they last passed that way, they will prod it with a paw and
see if they get a reaction. After all, a lot of prey animals will
'freeze' in the hope of escaping detection, and cats would lose out on a
lot of free meals (not to mention hunting practice) if they didn't try
some prodding.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"