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I own a number of field guides to help me identify the species of various different groups of organisms. I have reptile and amphibian guides, insect guides, beetle guides, butterfly and moth guides, bird guides, and even books local plant life. There is just something great about looking at some biological discovery and knowing a bit more about it.
The name of a plant or animal is a great place to start. "Hey honey, I found a really neat something-or-other today." This is not nearly as neat as saying, "I found a Sagebrush Lizard today," although the level of enthusiasm for my increadible find would be about the same from my better half. Then there is the information associated with the name. Habits, habitat, where to find them, relationship with man, life history, and so on. It all makes really interesting reading. I also have a few favourite internet sites, such as www.whatbird.com. I can go there and uncover more about the creature or plant that has captured my attention.
I caught the above fellow using a trick I learned; Move slowly and keep your hand hidden from the lizard's eyssight as you guide it along the surface until you can pinch the tail down with 1 finger. Then you move in for the capture and presto, instant lizard. You can also use fishing line in a loop hanging from a stick as the lizard can't see the line well enough to recognize it as a threat. Nice, but I don't always have a piece of spare nylon line hanging around. If you ever have the good fortune of capturing something, always treat it with respect and release it safely where you found it.
This was a great chance encounter and I consider this a culmination of preparation and opportunity. I was on a phone call in my balcony when I saw two of these guys walk on the under-construction road near my house. I desperately hung up the call, got out my camera and ran down the stairs. I couldn't see them to start with but I knew they couldn't have gone far. My instincts told me they'd be in the bushes near my house. And yes, there was one of them - almost invisible to start with; very skittish, yet receptive to my photographic advances. Here are some shots I managed. Handheld, F5.6.
Back to the room for a quick lunchtime snooze but I had to stop on the way to take some more photos of the lizards
Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), ~3-4 inch snout-vent length, Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, Riverside County, California - May 2009.
A Texas Spiny Lizard crawls along one of the boardwalks at Estero Llano Grande in Weslaco, TX. Photographed on 04/30/2016.
Lizard of the genus Sceloporus (exact species unknown) on the Butterfly Trail at Mount Lemmon, Coronado National Forest, Pima county, Arizona.