Hairless "squirrel"

[AmBraCol]

It's winter here, just like further north in this hemisphere - but our low temps are a bit less severe. Interestingly, the local iguana population has been quite active lately. There's a pipe across the river a couple blocks from here, it's just downstream from the bridge we cross as we head downtown. There's usually an iguana or three sunning themselves there. Anyway, yesterday when I took the dogs out I saw this one sunning herself in a tree. You can see how she moved like a squirrel to "hide" behind the branch she was on, keeping one eye on the "threat". Kind of hard to hide that tail, though.

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We actually have a FEW squirrels around, but have only seen one, one time, in the park in front of our house. The agoutis are much more common and we've seen many of them around. But the iguanas (considered endangered here - unlike Floria (invasive) and Puerto Rico (also invasive)) are all up and down the river (creek) a couple blocks from our home.

[Ray]

Searching for this.....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7GQssYyJcF8

I found this.....

https://m.youtube.com/@Rajtheiguanaman/videos

[AmBraCol]

Puerto Rico's also got a severe infestation of iguanas problem. Meanwhile, the Colombians have really cut into the native population. They love to get the females up on the coast, remove their eggs and tie them with strings to dry in the sun. Then they sell them on the street as aphrodisiacs. Maybe they need to come up with a hotline to China and sell the eggs over there. Those folks will eat ANYTHING reputed to enhance performance...anyway, generate employment and reduce the invasive population.

[Sixgun]

Somethin' about reptiles which puts me on the edge......like, are those iguanas in places that can surprise you like a snake does? Pretending here...say you open the door to the shed to get some tools...will one be hiding behind a shovel, etc.?

Pretty neat pictures...are they aggressive? Most snakes don't bother me at all but there have been times ...actually, many times....when I'm out back in the marshy area and these brown water snakes about the diameter of a beer can will come slithering by my feet and make my heart beat a few extra beats....----006

[AmBraCol]

They don't usually hang out around humans and human habitations, but if they're on the ground the dogs like to run them - or try. Our neighbors back when had an old mutt that had crisscrossed scars all over his face for going after iguanas and tigu lizards. They're quite wary, for the most part, at least where I've run into them. Never had one startle me, unlike slithering serpents. I've got a deal with snakes. Don't startle me and if you're non-poisonous and not doing harm to farm fowls and such then you get left alone. Startle me and all bets are off. Venomous and near human habitation? I'll do my best to put you out of commission. As for the legged reptiles like the iguana and the tigu, I leave 'em alone unless they're after the farm fowls or eating up the fruit trees. If I lived in Florida or Puerto Rico I'd be on the hunt, though. They can be VERY destructive, and they do a LOT of damage to native species.

[Sixgun]

Thanks Paul...animals of any type always interest me a lot more than people. Animals are mostly habitual where people are worse than snakes. ---006