Birds and Nature Vol. 09 No. 1 [January 1901]Various
History
Birds and Nature Vol. 09 No. 1 [January 1901]
Various
Birds -- Periodicals; Natural history -- Periodicals
The Collared or Ring-necked Lizard may be found among the rocks and open
woods of the plateau or in desert regions from southern Missouri
southward into Mexico, westward to southeastern California and northward
to southern Idaho. However, this is its general range, and it is not
common over all this territory. Though it has been known to ascend to an
altitude of nearly six thousand feet, yet it does not seem to have
crossed the Sierra Nevada range, as it has not been observed at any
point on the Pacific coast or the interior of California.
The Collared Lizard is so called because of the black bars, which
resemble a collar, and are situated between the fore legs and extend
across the back of the animal. They vary greatly in color, depending on
their age or geographical position. The back is usually some shade of
dull or rather dark green, or it may have a bluish cast, with numerous
oblong or rounded lighter spots, which may be either whitish, or various
shades of red, orange or yellow. These spots may be quite definite or
they may form quite continuous bands. The variations in color are much
more marked in the young.
Dr. Cope tells us that “it runs very swiftly, carrying the tail over its
back. In its manners it is perhaps the most pugnacious of our lizards,
opening its mouth when cornered, and biting savagely. Its sharp teeth
can do no more than slightly cut the skin.”
Mr. Frank M. Woodruff relates the following interesting account of his
experiences with this lizard: “I found the Collared Lizard at three
points in Missouri—Vineland, DeSoto and Pilot Knob. They are restricted
to the rocky glades, where they live with the scorpions and the
rattlesnakes. The only place where I found them abundant was between
Vineland and the old Kingston mines. During the hot summer months they
make their appearance upon the broad slabs of rock, often quite a
distance from their lairs. When disturbed they make a dash to escape and
usually in the direction that leads to their accustomed crevice, even
though the intruder is in its path. I have had them run almost across my
feet in their frantic efforts to hide. They are a somewhat terrifying
object as they run toward you. At this time they apparently assume a
partly upright position, looking for all the world like a small edition
of Mephistopheles. The negroes are mortally afraid of them. They call
them ‘Glade Devils,’ and the more superstitious believe that the souls
of the very bad negroes reside in them. A negro will never go through a
glade frequented by this species, and will make a long detour to avoid
doing so. The only time I ever saw a negro ‘turn gray’ was when I
brought one of these lizards to Ironton and asked for assistance in
capturing it when it escaped. They are so swift in their movements that
I found the best method of capturing them was by tying a noose of fine
copper wire to a fish pole. This can be slipped over their heads, as
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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