Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses Page: 157
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TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND RE1IINISCENCES. 157
types encountered nearly exclui-
sively in or along old fences and
rock piles, or ini eactus jungles,
where they live on insects. The
rock lizard is rather attractive and
some of them are of a velvety jet
black color. 'rhey. are shorter
than the tree lizard; and of a much
wilder disposition-generally seen
sunning themselves on a large
rock or rock pile and quick as
lightening disappearing when dis-
t urbed.
These black ground lizards are
not the same type of lizard found
in mountainous regions. The latter
are more slender, of velvety white
and light grayish color and beau-
tifully striped with black cross
hands. They are often seen whein
driving along the country roads,
along mountainous hills and cedar
forests, and they are very attrac-
tive, especially when seen on topof a large rock. In running, and
also when sitting on a rock they
c.urve and wiggle their long tail
hig h up, and when disturbed very
rapidly disappear under some
other rocks nearby. There are
various genera among these rock
lizards and the largest types are
exceedingly shy, and they usually
sun themselves on a rock close to
some rock cavity where they can
retreat with lightning rapidity in
ease of necessity.
Our more common prairie and
garden lizards are too well known
as to dwell in detail here as to
their habitat. Their greenish and
striped body is even moe slender;
and they are exceedingly graceful
in their movements, and of tamer
(lispl)sition than all the balance of
our lizard tribe: they are very use-
ful creatures as their food consists
chiefly of full grown and larval in-
sects of all kinds.The Gila Monster and Other Obscure Reptiles
I herewith present to my read-
ers a pIart of another miniature
photo copy, (not heretofore pub-
lished) of a large private and
original collection of my own, of
Texas animals, some of which
were photoreproduced directly as
encountered in nature and others
from the collection of renowned
local taxidermists of bygone days.
however, this time it is the (i-
la reptile to which particular at-
tention is called. In the March 1912
data appeared by a friend of the
issue of the 'I'exas Field and Na-
tional Guardsman, the following
Field anent the (ila Monster, un-
der the caption: ''A query for
I)r. l[enger, " in which the con-
tributor had said: "I have been
reading with considerable inter-
est Dr. Menger's articles on "na-
ture observations" for the past
year or so. I have been lookingforward to each issue with the
expectation of sooner or later
having the pleasure of reading
something anent our most famous
of all Texas insects the centi-
pede, the vinaigron and the large
black scorpion. Another pest,
which can not be classed as an in-
sect, by far, but which causes peo-
ple to shudder at the very men-
tion of its name, and which I
wished to hear discussed by a per-
son versed in science, is the Gila
(eloderma susp)ectum). I do not
know whether this reptile is found
in Texas or not, but I have the im-
pression that some exist in the ex-
treme northwestern part of the
State."
I respectfully submit this to
this gentleman and the readers
of the Texas Field: As far as I
am informed, the Gila Monster
is not indigenous to our Texas
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Menger, R. Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses, book, 1913; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth143558/m1/161/?q=menger&rotate=90: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas Health Science Center Libraries.