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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TIF, post: 8250626, member: 56859&quot;]I&#039;m so sorry, Erin!&nbsp; The loss of a pet is hard <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie3" alt=":(" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;ve shared this story before but it is fitting...</p><p>......</p><p><br /></p><p>Early morning; reading in bed, awaiting the sunrise. I heard a slight rustling somewhere in the bedroom. Near the closet? I kept still and listened. There it was again, behind the bed! Critters get inside the house all the time; tarantulas, anoles, the occasional snake… more so since my beloved cat died. I really should fix that gap under the door. I wasn&#039;t too concerned unless it was a scorpion or mouse, the latter of which has (so far) never been found inside.</p><p><br /></p><p>I looked but didn&#039;t see anything.</p><p><br /></p><p>It kept happening for a week or two. Early morning rustling, starting near the closet, then behind my bed, then from the other side of the room.</p><p><br /></p><p>Finally I saw the source. A juvenile male brown crested anole. Every time he heard me move, he froze and was easily overlooked as his color was close to that of my floor (that and I had junk <i>everywhere-- </i>was in the midst of remodeling).</p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;Hi little guy! Don&#039;t be scared,&quot; I cooed. He was petrified, of course.</p><p><br /></p><p>Weeks went by and slowly I learned his routine and gave him a name. At night he lived in a closet, climbing up a long linen skirt and resting there. In the morning, he climbed down and skittered to the bathroom where there was often residual water from the shower. There was also a little crack in the corner where a line of ants constantly came in. He&#039;d go to the shower, drink some water, and line up at the ant buffet. I decided to forego spraying that crack so that Andy would have a ready supply of food. Occasionally an unlucky cricket was part of the fare.</p><p><br /></p><p>Months passed. Andy became less frightened. Eventually he stopped running away at my approach. I wanted badly to pick him up, let him enjoy the warmth of my hands. He was never comfortable enough with the situation for that intimacy to occur. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>I watched as my adopted lizard son grew. His crest began to form. He would posture, do lizard head bob/pressups, and display his dewlap. I&#039;m not sure if he viewed me as a threat or a potential mate. I&#039;d like to think it was a friendly gesture.</p><p><br /></p><p>With a mother&#039;s pride I noted that Andy seemed larger and more robust than his outdoor peers. His color was a little lighter, which based on reading seemed to indicate good health and lack of stress. I always talked to him. I think he liked it.</p><p><br /></p><p>I worried. Is he going to leave me? He really should find a mate. Should I relocate him to outdoors? What if he can&#039;t establish his own turf? Anoles are quite territorial.</p><p><br /></p><p>After nine months, Andy did leave. I guess he found his way back to the front door. I&#039;d seen him exploring that general area.</p><p><br /></p><p>I missed him.</p><p><br /></p><p>One day, I saw a robust light-colored adult male anole come in under the door and head towards the bedroom.</p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;Andy? Is that you?!&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>I couldn&#039;t be sure, of course, but I talked to him and he stopped. He didn&#039;t run away even when I came very close. He dithered a bit and then went back outside. I think it was him.</p><p><br /></p><p>A month later I saw him in a territorial showdown with another adult male just outside the front door. They were really going at it. I&#039;m not sure who won; both ran off after an epic battle.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Andy sightings decreased and eventually I stopped looking for him.</p><p><br /></p><p>Then one day he popped up in a most unexpected place. My carport is steps away from the front door. I guess he had found his new territory-- my car. I found out as I was driving to work… out popped Andy. He was in the windshield recess and was now clinging to the wiper, holding on for dear life. Oh no! Hang on, Andy! What to do, what to do? I was close to my destination… and couldn&#039;t rationalize being late to the meeting to take my anole back home-- if he even survived the return trip. I kept driving. Upon reaching the office he jumped off into a grassy area.</p><p><br /></p><p>That&#039;s the last time I saw him.</p><p><br /></p><p>I hope he was able to establish a new territory there.</p><p><br /></p><p>Many other anoles have lived (and died) in my home but none were as special as Andy. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>I used to have many pictures of him but they must be trapped in an old computer or old backup drive. The only one I can find at the moment is of his final journey...</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/andytakesaride-jpg.383598/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/macedon-eion-trihemiobol-edited-jpg.383590/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>MACEDON, Eion</b></p><p>460-400 BCE</p><p>AR trihemiobol; 0.74g, 12mm</p><p>Obv: goose standing right, head reverted; lizard above</p><p>Rev: quadripartite incuse square</p><p>Ref: Cf. SNG ANS 287[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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