You can't turn your back for a second!

I left Richard on his tower for about ten minutes and returned to find the tower... vacant!

After a brief search of the living room, this is what we discovered. A very smart idea, indeed!


Let's take another look at his antics:


As long as Richard is sleeping, he is still an angel. Too bad he's not always asleep. :-P


Another look at the harness and leash:


Life is great. Of course, Richard seems to hate us more and more each day, but at least the hatred is amusing. For now. I told Richard that if he keeps it up, this will be his fate. (Click on link to view photo)

Richard's cage. The video!

Lizard on a leash

I've just completed Richard's new harness. I also sewed a matching leash for it. :-) Richard looks very sharp in it.

Lately, Richard has been developing an attitude, which I can only associate with his approaching sexual maturity... He's exhibiting some hilarious behaviors, such as puffing up his neck, sudden repositioning, and sitting very erect in response to what he considers harassment, e.g., petting and tail-touching. As a matter of fact, I got a mild whipping from Richard's tail today when I tested his harness on him.

We had two guests over at the house last night. It was the first time they had met Richard. As soon as they entered the door, Richard reacted by inflating his neck. We've never observed him do that unprovoked. He exhibited no fear whatsoever, and even seemed to show off to the guests by being extra energetic (climbing my leg to my chest and then launching himself to the kitchen counter and eyeballing everyone carefully).

While these behaviors are amusing, they also herald the coming of the "new" Richard, and it saddens me to an extent. But such is the way of life! Our children-- I mean, lizards-- become ungrateful and surly, even though we keep their tummies full and their bodies clothed.

So, say "goodbye" to the sprightly Richard and his charming antics, and say "hello" to the grumpy fellow he is becoming.

I'm kidding. :-) This is just a part of growing up. I can deal with it! Hopefully you will still appreciate hearing about Richard when he's not cute anymore.

Missouri Botanical Garden

Just thought I'd share :-)

First adult discoid roach

Yesterday, one of the nymphs shed its exoskeleton, and emerged as a very beautiful adult. He/she is gorgeous. :-|

Richie Boy goes for a test drive

Enclosure renovation is still in progress. :-) I'm currently covering the platforms with "reptile carpet." It's not the most attractive stuff in the world, but it's practical for clean-up. They are affixed to the platforms with velcro.

I put Richard in for a little while to see how he would like it. He studied his surroundings carefully and seemed a little frightened by the new environment (as evidenced by his less than beautiful coloration in the photo above). He cheered up shortly thereafter. I sensed satisfaction.


I bought him a Dracaena plant! This is safe for herbivorous reptiles, according to multiple credible sources, including Tricia's Water Dragon Care Page. Tricia is basically the water dragon authority on the internet.

I gave the Dracaena plant some thorough bleach-water dunkings earlier and brand new, safe soil. I topped the pot off with coconut bark. This particular coconut bark is used for reptile and amphibian vivaria. I do have some artificial vines. I'll let my pothos plants grow a bit more before I use them in place of the artificial vines.

*Getting back to work*

Shaving kits and discoid roaches

We relocated Richard's tower from the living room to the bedroom during the enclosure-renovation process. He figured out how to get to a shelf in our closet. This should come as no surprise since Richard has an undying love for closets...

It just so happens that his dad's shaving kit is on the shelf, too. In a lizard's mind, I suppose it's a great place to relax, even if it doesn't make any sense. :-)

By the way, I'm thinking about putting a webcam on Richard's cage when it's complete, so that anyone with plenty of time to waste can watch our little guy as he... sits around. Basically, antics that will have you at the edge of your seat. Really exciting stuff, folks. :-P

Here are two shots of our discoid roaches.


Below is a nice photo taken by shadowshador from Flickr, used with permission. He also has an extensive portfolio of animal photography.