Keeping an eye on Mr. Lizard Fancypants

Clay Thompson is on vacation. In his absence, we're running some favorite columns from the past. This column was originally published on Dec. 16, 2010.

Today's question:

There's a garden lizard — probably an ornate tree lizard — that I've spotted in my house a few times over the past month or two. I know they eat bugs, so he's probably getting little ones here and there around the house, but what does the lizard drink?

An ornate tree lizard? I'd never heard of that one before. I looked up a picture of one, and it didn't look especially ornate to me, but perhaps other lizards find it to be a regular Mr. Lizard Fancypants.

In any event, I think it's cool that it has taken up residence and you are not freaking about it.

Lizards, as a rule, get a lot of their water from the stuff they eat. However, you might try leaving out, say, a bottle cap of water in spots where you tend to see the critter or in places you think it goes to stay warm.

We all appreciate the winter visitors, but I have noticed that, particularly at my church, many Sunday visitors, obviously from out of state, let the collection basket go by with nary a coin deposited therein. Is this what they do back home, too, or is it because they feel that being anonymous here, they don't need to help?

First of all, I agree with you that long-term visitors should chip in.

But don't you have anything better to do than watch to see who gives and who doesn't? And how do you know your winter visitors don't make a lump-sum gift?

My advice on this one is to butt out.