New York State has three native species of lizard: Northern Fence, Five-lined Skink, and Coal Skink. And one introduced species: the Italian Fence Lizard (Podarcis sicula). P. sicula evidently spread out from a release in Hempstead in 1967. The first time I ever became aware of them was when a photo of a Kestrel taking one to its Manhattan nest made the rounds of local birders some years ago. I’ve seen them in the cemeteries of Queens: they love stone walls. But they are quick and agile and hard to photograph. I finally got one in the digital camera at the New York Botanic Garden recently.
Lizards
2 responses to “Lizards”
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This past Sunday I saw what looks like this reptile in a hollowed tree stump adjacent to a cemetery in Glendale, Queens. In my 55 years, I had never until then seen any reptile in the wild in this borough.
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Queens cemeteries, especially the one where Houdini is supposedly (bet he got out of that one, too) buried, are perfect locations for these guys.
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Backyard and Beyond 
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