catching Podarcis sicula (the Italian wall lizard)

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lg5555
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Joined: September 12th, 2016, 11:08 pm

catching Podarcis sicula (the Italian wall lizard)

Post by lg5555 »

Hello everyone, I have several questions regarding the catching of Podarcis sicula (the Italian wall lizard) . I've been trying to catch two or three babies but have been unsuccessful. It will be 74 degrees in a few days , will the babies come out then? Two weeks ago we had 80 degree weather and i saw many babies and adults run away as i was walking through grass and low weeds. i tried placing a small pizza box opened slightly for them to run into ( similar to cave method on you tube) but on this day there weren't many. Where is the best place to set up empty pails - dug in the ground to catch them? Edge of grass where gravel starts on railroad tracks, along a chain link fence, among bushes etc? I've read about flipping, whereby you turn over boards, rocks, debrid, etc. Do i have to be quick to grab them? Do i lift open side towards me? Thank you for your assistance, Gary
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cbernz
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Re: catching Podarcis sicula (the Italian wall lizard)

Post by cbernz »

I'd probably try noosing them. Tie a strand of low-test fishing line to the end of a long stick (I used to use an old radio antenna), then tie a small noose in the other end of the line. If necessary, rub a little wax into the noose end of the line to stiffen it so the noose stays open and the end of the line stays relatively straight. If you approach slowly you should be able to slip the noose gently over the neck of the lizard, yank up quickly but gently, and catch it, especially if the lizard is just warming up with the morning sun.
Jimi
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Joined: December 3rd, 2010, 12:06 pm

Re: catching Podarcis sicula (the Italian wall lizard)

Post by Jimi »

You'd have to check about the legality of this, and it may irritate some folks for me to share this, but a common and extremely effective lizard-catching tool used by researchers is the glue trap. A couple pointers:
  • - you need to monitor the traps closely - no setting and forgetting, you need to pretty much have eyes-on due to nontarget capture potential

    - cheap vegetable oil is the stuff to use to get the lizard off the trap and the glue off the lizard - use it liberally, work it all over your hands and the lizard, especially at the edge of lizard-glue contact, pulling over-so-gently on the lizard and lubing up the evolving (shrinking) edge of lizard-glue contact, until the greasy lizard is in your greasy hand and free of the greasy (but still sticky!) glue trap; if you don't lube your hand it'll get all nasty and sticky too

    - if you are patient and gentle, with some experience you can catch and release tiny, thin-skinned lizards safely (no torn skin, no dropped tails) with this method; the trap is good for as much catching as you can stand

    - I've only used this in the tropics where the oil is just assumed to come off or break down really fast; not sure what to do in a drier or colder environment (wipe the lizards with paper towels???)

    - use wax paper between and around the traps to stack/store them in a box or plastic bag

    *** again, this may very well NOT be a legal method of recreational take where you are - so ask first, and obey the law
Noosing - assuming you're proficient at it - also works if you don't need to catch boatloads; I prefer non-waxed dental floss and a thin but stiff stick (like dried small-gauge bamboo). The advice "when they're still cool" is spot-on. A hot lizard is a pretty untouchable lizard, unless you just shoot them with something (e.g., a rubber band) or catch them fly-fishing. (Seriously fun, BTW.)

If Podarcis even go under cover objects (I don't know them at all) you could also try laying out some AC, like a layer of small carpet scraps, and flip them in the early-morning cool (obeying any littering ordinances of course; maybe you could just re-arrange what garbage is already there) - this is the best low-effort way (no digging!) I know to catch whiptails, and I think of lacertids as basically Old-World analogues of teids...but maybe on the East Coast you don't get enough of a night-time drop for this to work? Maybe it's a western thing? Though it has worked for me with six-lined racerunners too...

cheers
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