Iggy Guana

This is my (not so) new pet, Iggy Guana. Iggy loves to lay out in the sun all day. Special attention is given to the tanning of the legs......

The frogs took off during the rainy season and they had served their purpose.... to desensitize my dogs to them. Toad frogs secrete this milky substance on the base of their head that can kill a dog. Word has it that dogs know they can get high by just licking a toad frog. The trick is - not too much, most dogs get a foamy mouth and die of the poison. This type of iguana is mean and dangerous if you catch it. Macha caught one the other day and the iguana reached around and bit her eye and cheek, drawing blood. I was glad. Unfortunately, he died giving Macha this lesson. I scolded Macha severely but her brain is pit bull/chow. I am trying to teach her to NOT CHASE IGUANAS! It's a hard lesson for her to learn since she can catch them nearly every time. There's one iguana running around here that got away from Macha's clutches recently. I was happy to see him scamper up the tree yesterday sporting a new three inch stump for a tail, I call him Chinga (no tail). Actually there are several with regrown tails, I call them all Chinga (aka - Macha survivors).

Now that I have Iggy set up at my front gate and sleeping peacefully in a pipe, I want Macha to see on a daily basis that iguanas are for looking (and feeding) not killing!! Iggy waits ever morning for banana pieces, lettuce, papaya, or whatever I have on hand (actually, I now buy fruit for Iggy and his friends/foes). It's amazing what iguanas will eat (birds, too). They love my gringo gallo pinto! (in Southern Spanish that's, Gringa Galla Pinta). It's a local dish.

There have been other iguanas that have wanted to take over Iggy's set-up but he is defending his turf. I am hoping my dogs seeing Iggy on a daily basis will desensitize them to iguanas and there will be no more bolting out the door to chase down iguanas in the yard. ESPECIALLY IGGY!! I can't count the number of iguanas I have had to pick up and rescue from my yard. I NEVER dreamed I could catch and hold an iguana in my hands!!!!
This is the iguana that lives at the river. The battle is coming for Iggy's spot. Iggy is on the left.


I tried to break it up with the water hose but they were determined to duke it out. Lots of scuffling and arm biting but no damage. The river iguana went back to his domain and Iggy to his throne (that rock). In the photo below, you can see Iggy's house (the tube with barrel tile on top for insulation).
In the photo above, you can see Iggy is NOT HAPPY the bird is taking his banana!

I have alerted the yardman for the neighboring property about my "mascote" because he trims my hedge and I don't want Iggy to end up on someone's dinner plate... like what happened to my last "pet" iguana that lived in the water drainage pipe. I watched their dogs chase him down and them take the iguana to the house. I had to just turn and walk back inside my house without saying a word. They did not know he was my pet and eating iguana meat is a common practice for some. Pura vida.
Macha checking on Iggy's location. Iggy likes the grass on HER SIDE of the fence!! why is that??.......

Spider/both sides and a Bat

I've never photographed "under" a spider. The second photo is the "undershot" of this seven-legged spider.


This bat moved into my balcony doorjam during a huge rainstorm.
He's gone now.

Lord knows, the critters I find around my house.

FYI - the rains have come and it rains just about everyday. Thunder, lightning, the whole works (no hail). July we will get a "little summer" and it will be dry for a few weeks. Live here long enough, you realize it all runs in cycles.

Little earthquake the other day. 5.9 Mag. Lasted just long enough to be concerned.
It happened right after a big rain which could pose a problem with the ground being soft. I haven't heard of any mudslides though.....

Darling Ducklings

I now know what kind of duck this is, Black-bellied Whistling Duck with a pink bill and feet (thanks Carol A. for info). I had thought there was only one duckling but when I returned home yesterday, I let out two dogs and Macha found the whole flock of ducklings hovering in the corner of the yard, under the lemon tree and banana trees. It was a yellow and black blur of little fur bodies scrambling to get through the fence to the other side AWAY from Macha. Unfortunately, Macha is just too quick and already had one in her mouth. I rescued it from Macha's jaws but it died in my hands. The rest of the bunch hurried off into the tall grass. I spent the rest of the afternoon searching for them with a bucket in hand. I wanted to collect them and take them to the river but I never found them. Not being able to find them is pretty incredible since the chicks are brightly colored yellow with black spots and there were about 10 of them traveling in a huddle.

Late last night, I kept hearing a bird calling, for hours. The birds are quiet at night. It sounded like a toucan but with more lift and flurry. I was told this type of duck whistle when they take off (hence the name). As I tried to go to sleep, listening to this weary call over and over, I couldn't help but wonder if the mother was calling out for her lost duckling (the one Macha killed). I wondered if all the flock was in a safe place and if she ventured out away from the others to call to her missing duckling as not to endanger the others. There are many hawks in the area.
Life is a challenge in the jungle. It really is survival of the fittest and the strongest (and smartest).

The Dotted Duckling

For all those that have kept up with my blog, you know I love nature and animals, especially all the living things around my house. These are my favorite subjects. This morning I looked out and a duck flew into my yard. I know they use the tall palm in my yard for nesting so I looked around for her ducklings. In the past, I have seen as many as ten little ducklings fall 30 feet (about 10 meters) from that palm tree and in a straight line, they follow their mom to the river. Those days were BEFORE the fence. I watched to see how she was going to get her one and only duckling pass the fence. The duckling dodge in and out of the chain link fence but the mom was blocked by her size and would not fly over so I went out and opened the gate for them. Momma Duck waddled pass me and ushered her little duckling into the free world. I was so thankful I found them before the dogs did. I'll keep watching for more ducklings.
She looked as though she paused to say "Thanks Macha" and waddled out with her one precious follower.