Christmas day surprise

[The Woodman]

Out with the dogs and found a lizard on the footpath on its back. Not sure if it was dead, I brought it home to see if it might recover. I don't think it will though.

Can't imagine why it was out in mid winter or why it was apparently freshly dead and unmarked.

[Kayleigh]

Aww poor thing, keep up posted on its outcome..

[diggleken]

Abdomen looks concave and empty - maybe hunger?
And the mild weather fooled it.............
Cheers
Ken

[The Woodman]

At lunchtime yesterday I took the apparently dead lizard outside get a few macro shots. Whilst I was manipulating it, the tail twitched several times and a leg moved. This was just over 24 hrs after finding it. It's been in the kitchen overnight and there are no signs of life this morning I'm afraid.

I've just checked since writing the last paragraph and the animal has moved it's tail. My mother is holding it at this moment and and has let out a whoop as the lizards tail has curled into her hand.

The tail is limp and very flexible but the body shows no sign of life - weird.

[Kayleigh]

They do "play dead" but this seems to be going on a while could it be a hibernating state..
Maybe the poor thing is on its way out..

[marvin]

hi

remember that when lizard's shed their tails the tail will continue to 'wriggle' for some time afterwards so it is possible the animal is dead but the tail doesn't know it yet! sad to see but part of nature i suppose.

tim

[Dogghound]

It doesn't look very healthy to me. Perhaps it has not chosen a suitable hibernation site. This winters warm weather will be causing some problems to hibernating reptiles.

Regarding stomachs, you would expect a torpid/hibernating lizard to have a totally empty stomach, small. Reptiles tend to close down their digestive system when they hibernate, resulting in it shrinking. They generally stop feeding in late summer/autumn before they go into hibernation.