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Why are my small green garden lizards dying?


Lexy

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Just outside my back door in a walled-in space (where my hot water heater is mounted) I have (had) a small colony of small green lizards (anoles). I've watched three grow into a group of about seven over the past few months. A week or so ago I realized that one hadn't moved over a period of time and on closer look realized it was dead. I figured its time had come naturally. But within a short period of time I'm seeing their dead bodies one or now two at a time. This morning two dead and two others seem close to expire (the latter two seem weak; they aren't scurrying away as fast when I approach as they normally would). Since they've thrived for months in this spot I can't imagine what's changed that's causing them to die.

I've tried to research the problem online, but haven't found this particular problem addressed. I feel awful about it; they're almost like pets. They keep me entertained, as they're right outside my office window. Anyone have any ideas?

Lexy

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Insecticides could be the cause, as they may be eating not-quite-dead insects. However, they may also like the warmth of the exhaust from your water heater, and be getting 'gassed' with carbon monoxide, or even just experiencing heatstroke when the heater comes on.

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36 minutes ago, dichosalocura said:

Could you or a neighbor have been using insecticides that poisoned their food supply?

No. The small area has a high wall and my neighbors and I can't even see each other. And I don't use insecticides back there.

If I could I'd catch the remaining one or two and let them go on the front grass. But anything involving bending and quick movement is beyond me these days.

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No, RV, that can't be it. They're grounded and water heater is far above them on the wall. They've been thriving for months up until now. In fact, they can't even climb those walls--I've seen several of them try to and always fall back down after getting about seven inches up. I thought lizards could grip a wall. But these walls are painted smooth, maye that's it. But this dying is a whole new thing.

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Tiny,  there's a thought: I'm going to check if my cleaning woman throws the dirty water out there after mopping the floors.

Angus, just yesterday drinking water occurred to me and I poured some water out there along the narrow concrete strips that are a sort of border around the dirt/weeds. I was trying to get it to run into the corners and accumulate. I'll do it again this evening after the sun goes down. Other than that, how do I put out water for a lizard?

Tiny and Jonnyintrouble--Could you do your comic stand-ups on some other thread? I've got grieving lizard-family survivors out there.

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