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 #1818809


Java2006
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 "Wild Guy" passed away

My wife and I found wild guy while walking the dogs on one Texas afternoon in early 2007. It was the latter part of February and a long, hard ice storm was due to strike the Dallas area over the three days that followed. As we walked along I noticed a junenile TX spiny lizard attached to the side of a tree trunk absorbing what heat the sun could provide with the outside air temperature only in the high 50’s. I approached the lizard and carefully picked him up, he was entirely too cold to just let be with the impending ice storm.

My fiance and I took the lizard home and placed him with our Blue Spiny Lizard, "Kizardo" (a name picked by one of my nephews). Following the ice storm, and reluctantly, we chose to set him free in our front yard just outside of the office window. For hours I was bothered that this guy would more than likely not find a safe way to escape any future freezes and ultimately die from pneumonia.

After about seven hours, I looked out the window and the lizard had perched himself on the last bit of sun that the window sill could provide; it was supposed to dip into the 40’s most of the nights.

I once again went outside and brought home "Wild Guy" and placed him in the tank with Kizardo. Wild Guy’s docile behavior and friendliness toward people ultimately scored him a place with our family. Several months later we moved out of state and Wild Guy found himself in a special carrier box in the Penski truck. For over 16 months wild guy lived the good life with us in CA, pleasing us and kids of all ages within the extended family. He never bit, ran or flung his tail. He could always be picked up and hand fed a meal worm; he would carefully approach and skillfully execute his bite so as to never catch any part of a finger.

Just today, while away on a trip, I got a call from my wife that Wild Guy passed away. He died in his favorite spot between the water dish and the terra wall, burried under the substrate as usual. My wife never saw him on this particular morning so we can only assume that he passed away in his sleep.

To a family member, a great pet and one lucky wild lizard that beat many odds and lived to the ripe old age of 2 1/2, you will be missed.





08/03/08  10:01pm

 #1819732


Camaro man
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   Message To: Java2006   In reference to Message Id: 1818809


 "Wild Guy" passed away

sorry to here that man

looks like he was well taken care of he was fat lol



08/04/08  07:18pm

 #1820047


Dragonflame
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   Message To: Java2006   In reference to Message Id: 1818809


 "Wild Guy" passed away

awwwwww ur lizards soooo CUTE!!! but im really sorry that it passed away but if u kept it in a tank with a light shoulden’t it still be alive?
08/04/08  11:32pm

 #1820305


Java2006
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   Message To: Dragonflame   In reference to Message Id: 1820047


 "Wild Guy" passed away

There are many reasons wild caught lizards won’t make it to their full life span. Typically, a bird gobbles them up long before they make it to the 3rd or 5th year point. In this case, it may have been parasites that ultimately brought the guy to his demise.

We treated our chameleon to a vet that placed him on an anti-parasite formula, darn near killed the guy but no parasites. At $150, I am not sure most could afford to put their fencies on the drugs, or even if they would live through it.

Best course of action, just let them live in nature.
08/05/08  08:55am


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