I am remise in not mentioning herping! I grew up around the rattlesnakes and lizards of central and northern Texas. Those slithery things that shshhed quickly through the grass and scattered up tree trunks entranced me and I became addicted. As an adult, and as a professional biologist, I am just as entranced. Snakes, rattlesnakes in particular, hold my fascination for hours on end, although the rest of the herps should not take a back seat. The only image I have on my computer that I took (not copyrighted) is this western fence lizard; a common site in the grasslands and blue oak savannah of the great central valley of california. This fellow was doing his typical "push ups" telling me I was a bit too close for comfort and that he wanted me to move off straight away. :) For those not familiar with this particular species, this individual was maybe 6 inches long (including the tail). Not exactly a formidable foe, but try telling that to him!
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