The Green Lizard....Death Averted

Friends: The Green Lizard
….Death Averted

Today I rescued a green lizard from a violent death.

The Scene: My back porch, early morning.

A battle of epic proportions was shaping up--a classic stand-off, an eyeball to eyeball stare-down: An encounter between Sophie, my 22 pound Westie and a 1 oz. green lizard...the weak against the strong, nature revealing its true self, brutally bloody, tooth and nail...a fight to the finish (likely the lizard's finish, since it was out-matched by size, teeth and tenacity)...but it didn't flinch. I admired its courage.

The image of the stand-off is etched in my mind: the green lizard, about 6" long, surely sensed its imminent demise in the hot breath of the canine inches away. Yet it stood its ground, its fearsome mouth gaping, ready to render an insect-decimating crushing bite to its formidable foe.

The bell rang, and instantly the battle ensued. For about a minute the green lizard held its own, lashing out in its dragon stance and fancy footwork, and losing only a portion of its tail in the violent struggle. It was a valiant effort, far more than I would have offered up in such a situation...but then the specter of death summons up a different kind of courage!

Yet as any fool could see, the fight was patently unfair, the odds too predictable, so I intervened....I know, I know, nature should be left to itself--survival of the fittest and all that Darwinian crap, but nature today had a kinder side. I became the referee and arbiter of the conflict. Undaunted, the lizard stood its ground and accepted the rescue graciously. Sophie, one mean female--but then I repeat myself--seemed pleased that she'd at least won by a TKO, and smugly wandered off in pursuit of another opportunity...opportunities for fights abound!

Back on the tree branch the green lizard regained its composure and moved slowly in search of another battle with better odds. The marquee might read: "Tailless" Green Lizard vs. "Monster" Mosquito---odds, 1 billion to 1, about the same as green lizard had with Sophie.

What provoked the conflict I’ll never know, but as Green Lizard crawled up the branch, I think I saw it smile and wink at me...a good way to end a pleasant morning on the back porch.


Bud
April 7, 2008