I got a close-up and personal introduction to Liberian Lizards not long after arriving in Monrovia in 1976. We lived in the A&A Apartments on U.N. Drive and didn’t want to let our cats run loose, so I took them out on a leash. They discovered lizards sunning themselves on rocks and liked to run after them (with me darting along behind them). After one such outing, I had just stepped into the apartment when I felt something slap against my thigh. It dropped to the floor and scurried off at lightning speed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that it was one of the lizards. I had those jeans off before I’d made it to the privacy of my room! I’m not sure where it ended up. Neither of my cats was interested in taking up the chase.
About a year later, we moved to a house in a section of town called Sinkor. It was one of three houses on a quiet road on the beach. The lizards congregated on our back fence, some doing push-ups. Others ran around on our roof. We let Inky and Cloudy outside there, and they were a bit more successful in their hunting without the restriction of the leash.
I’ve since learned they are Agama Agama lizards, also called “Rainbow Lizards.” I think that’s a fitting description. I recall some spectacular purple and orange lizards. According to Switch Zoo, most Agamas are green and brown, but dominant males show off by rapidly turning their bodies blue and their heads bright red or yellow. Those were my favorites!
While serving as a dignity advocate, I once again saw these beautiful reptiles on walls, rocks, and rooftops. In fact, standing under the zinc roof of the laundry area at our guesthouse, I could hear their claws as they scrambled around overhead. It was music to my ears! They didn’t like to pose for pictures, but thanks to my zoom lens, I have a few to share. Perhaps it’s a good thing I couldn’t get too close – I really wouldn’t want to discover another lizard on the inside of my clothes!
About a year later, we moved to a house in a section of town called Sinkor. It was one of three houses on a quiet road on the beach. The lizards congregated on our back fence, some doing push-ups. Others ran around on our roof. We let Inky and Cloudy outside there, and they were a bit more successful in their hunting without the restriction of the leash.
I’ve since learned they are Agama Agama lizards, also called “Rainbow Lizards.” I think that’s a fitting description. I recall some spectacular purple and orange lizards. According to Switch Zoo, most Agamas are green and brown, but dominant males show off by rapidly turning their bodies blue and their heads bright red or yellow. Those were my favorites!
While serving as a dignity advocate, I once again saw these beautiful reptiles on walls, rocks, and rooftops. In fact, standing under the zinc roof of the laundry area at our guesthouse, I could hear their claws as they scrambled around overhead. It was music to my ears! They didn’t like to pose for pictures, but thanks to my zoom lens, I have a few to share. Perhaps it’s a good thing I couldn’t get too close – I really wouldn’t want to discover another lizard on the inside of my clothes!
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