Last week, a local resident uploaded a photo on Facebook showing a small reptile that had appeared on her patio, asking, “Does anyone know what this guy is?”

Most responses gave the correct answer: a harmless spiny lizard. Some folks said they had found look-alikes in their homes and gardens. Several even mentioned giving names to their uninvited house guests, underscoring their beneficial dietary habits of feeding on unwanted mosquitoes, cockroaches and spiders. 

Some kind of nocturnal geckos reside in the crannies of my old-fashioned tile roof. I take comfort in hearing the chirping voices and clattering feet of these lizards as they scurry above my bedroom, chasing after bugs.

Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.