The Barefoot Kitchen Witch

Lizard Cake

Alex’s birthday was months ago, but for an assortment of reasons his birthday festivities were delayed.  And delayed.

Finally, he had a couple of friends sleep over (friends who haven’t slept over before – that was his criteria), and I made his cake.

Inside, it’s chocolate.  And that’s peanutbutter frosting.

And those are lizards.

Grooming the Lizard

It sounds like a euphemism for something…something inappropriate for this mostly family-friendly and workplace-safe website.

But no, it’s actually what it is – Bill and Alex decided to groom Cricket-Catcher, our Cuban Knight Anole.

Removing the Mask

Crickent-Catcher, our adult, female, Cuban Knight Anole, is starting to shed.

They shed every, I don’t know, month…two months…something like that.  When they shed, or are about to, they don’t eat as much. 

They don’t shed all their skin at once, either.  Usually it’s the head first…then it starts becoming noticeable at the tail end, until eventually the whole body seems loosely wrapped in fine, white paper.

Anyway, here’s Cricket-Catcher shedding the skin on her head.

Perhaps it Was the Name

But at the time, the name seemed appropriate.

Lucky.

Hatched from an unexpected egg, and he survived being in the same tank as his huge, predatory mother.

So “Lucky” seemed like a valid name. 

Oops, She Did it Again

Yesterday afternoon.

I’d just brought the kids home from school.  I told them they could hang out or whatever for about half an hour before starting their homework.

I was in the kitchen working on dinner.

Bill wasn’t home yet.

And then, a loud cry interrupted the peace.

Update on Lucky

They grow up so fast...sniff!

Okay, not that fast.

Surprise!

We got home late last night, after a long day of travel (and to make it even more exciting, I woke up with vertigo), three different flights, overpriced airplane food, and really well-behaved children, considering they had to sit still for nearly ten hours all together, and the only exercise was race-walking from one gate to the next at the airports.

Alex and Julia said hello to all the cats, Bill sprayed water in the lizard tank, I turned on the AC upstairs, and then Bill was downstairs in the basement and I was in the kitchen when suddenly there was a whole lot of loud screeching and squealing and "MOM!  COME QUICK!

Broody

You've met Cricket-Catcher, our Cuban White Knight Anole, or Cuban Knight Anole, or Knight Anole, right? 

I've written about this lizard on and off over the past several years - however long we've had it.  Including that matter with Dinoraptosaurus, may he rest in peace.

All this time, we've just assumed it was a male.

Escapee

 
I think it was when Bill was trimming the dead fern fronds in the tank that Cricket Catcher decided to make his bid for freedom.

Our Wild Kingdom

 
This is Cricket-Catcher, in case you haven't met him before.  He is a Cuban Knight Anole and he is a Predator.  See his teeth?  You don't want to be an earthworm in our yard - your days could be numbered.