Help... Great big feck-orf hissing...

[JJ]

... lizard. In my back garden. Taken up residence under the BBQ.

Issit dangerous???? Its sticking its head out (initially looked like a great big snake... at which point i nearly expired) and hissing at the cats...

What to do....

Damn the wildlife here... they have a HUGE swathe of practically unpopulated territory... but yet still manage to find all manner of horrid critters in your back garden... (actually its rather beautiful, but its pretty big so I dont fancy trying to capture and get it out)...

[baloo]

what sort of lizard ?

[JJ]

I dunno!!!!!! Its BIG. It HISSES.
Could it be a monitor? I will google and see. I know that there are some wildlife fans here so wondering if they can tell me if its likely to bite

[baloo]

Does it have teeth ?

[Lili Von Shtupp]

Can you get close enough to take a photo?

[baloo]

does it look like this

[center]
Great Eastern British Expat Eating Dragon[/center]

[slinky]

what sort of lizard ?

Good grief, baloo, what more info do you need:

Its BIG. It HISSES.

(Sorry, JJ, I'm no lizard expert -- I'm with Lili, can you get a photo?)

[JJ]

Baloo, yes it does. but it looks bigger, but not so much loose skin...
do i call a little man to deal with it (if it bites) or can I try myself to shoo it out the back gate to the kiddies park

[Lili Von Shtupp]

Well, as long as the kiddies aren't British expats, I'm sure they'll be fine.

[baloo]

They can grow up to 80cm-1m.

Apparently attracted to the smell of fear in humans

No, seriously, here's all I have on the Eastern Water Dragon

Scientific Name: Physignathus lesueurii





The eastern water dragon grows to around 80-90cm in length, much of which is tail The colour consists of shades of grey or brown with a series of black bands on the back and tail and a black stripe on the side of the head behind the eye. The underside is creamy-white, although males may have a vivid red on some or most of the belly and chest. There are enlarged scales forming a crest down the middle of the head, back and tail. The legs are relatively long and powerful and the strong tail is flattened on the sides to assist with swimming.


Did You Know? Male water dragons will sometimes fight each other for territories. Such battles can become quite severe with the two combatants standing on their hind legs in an attempt to push the other over on to its back.


Habitat: The eastern water dragon inhabits the coastal water courses of eastern Australia from northern Queensland to Gippsland in eastern Victoria. It is a good tree climber and likes to laze on branches overhanging the water. If disturbed it will drop into the water and swim to the bottom to wait for the danger to pass, staying under for up to 30 minutes if necessary.


Diet: The diet mainly comprises small reptiles, worms, frogs, insects, vegetation, fruit, small mammals and molluscs.


Reproduction: Males defend a territory and a harem of females, carrying out an impressive series of head bobs and arm waves to discourage other intruding males. The females lay around a dozen eggs in an excavated hole in sandy soil above the floodline. These will hatch in approximately three months. The young are miniature replicas of the adults and are able to fend for themselves as soon as they hatch.

Might be worth giving the RSPCA a call and explaining the situation. They'll tell you how to best handle it.

[JJ]

God. I thought that I was only a big girls blouse when it came to spiders... turns out i am just totally, embarrassingly pathetic. Beginning to see why most people live in flats here...

[Kooky]

Don't you dare shoo it over this way. I'm not cleaning up cat barf after Han's attempts to eat that one.

[Fat Bob]

I think you'd be cleaning up lizard barf after the lizard successful attempt to eat Han.

[Lady Uppercrust]

...
Damn the wildlife here... they have a HUGE swathe of practically unpopulated territory... but yet still manage to find all manner of horrid critters in your back garden... (actually its rather beautiful, but its pretty big so I dont fancy trying to capture and get it out)...

Ahem, do you not see the irony here ?? YOU have a bloody big feck orf house that is somewhat underpopulated ! Invite the little fella in and have a party, it's good to make friends with the natives.

[Fat Bob]

And you can tell it's a native, it's got a strange-shaped head!

[Morrolan]

could be a big blue tongue... their heads look a bit snake-like

[Fat Bob]

Now where do you reckon that got it's name from?

[baloo]

A Smurf