# What prehistoric oddity did I just pull out of my garden? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 2, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prehistoric-oddity-did-i-just-pull-out-of-my-garden/552424 "2010-09-02T20:20:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prehistoric-oddity-did-i-just-pull-out-of-my-garden/552424/41 "2010-09-04T04:10:25Z")
> [@jujuju](#): > > > [@enipla](#): > > > > Closer to Breckenridge actually, about 12 miles south, 11,200 feet. Your out by Canon City then. Cool area. We almost bought land near Silver Cliff. > > > > Seems odd to find a lizard in the mountains. I sure have never seen one. > > I wanna live somewhere that is described by the altitude. You can’t live in Colorado without knowing what the altitude is, no matter where you are. It’s a law or something. I’m at 5,000 ft. Tomorrow I’ll be at 7,500 ft going up to 12,000 ft. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prehistoric-oddity-did-i-just-pull-out-of-my-garden/552424/42 "2010-09-04T05:04:49Z")
> [@jujuju](#): > > > [@enipla](#): > > > > Closer to Breckenridge actually, about 12 miles south, 11,200 feet. Your out by Canon City then. Cool area. We almost bought land near Silver Cliff. > > > > Seems odd to find a lizard in the mountains. I sure have never seen one. > > I wanna live somewhere that is described by the altitude. Ha. 600 feet. ---
**Author:** ![chromaticity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@chromaticity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chromaticity)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prehistoric-oddity-did-i-just-pull-out-of-my-garden/552424/43 "2010-09-04T11:17:17Z")
Might I add a bravo for the pictures. Usually this kind of question has a blurry picture, in which identifying what we are supposed to be seeing is half the challenge. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prehistoric-oddity-did-i-just-pull-out-of-my-garden/552424/44 "2010-09-04T12:20:20Z")
> [@chromaticity](#): > > Might I add a bravo for the pictures. > Usually this kind of question has a blurry picture, in which identifying what we are supposed to be seeing is half the challenge. I agree. If I needed to count costal grooves to ID this salamander, which is necessary for some species, these pictures would have allowed that. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prehistoric-oddity-did-i-just-pull-out-of-my-garden/552424/45 "2010-09-04T17:06:36Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Technically, there’s no such thing as a “reptile” any more Yeah, tell that to [Bob](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.travelpod.com/users/carlita1/1.1255571161.cocodrilo.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.travelpod.com/photos/1/Honduras/Tela%2520***.html&usg=__81euKKd5EBnNKxTPxFHGMRQku64=&h=386&w=550&sz=87&hl=en&start=3&zoom=1&tbnid=ONHPWXjdjTgDbM:&tbnh=156&tbnw=208&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dafrican%2Bcrocodile%26tbnh%3D158%26tbnw%3D246%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1200%26bih%3D827%26tbs%3Disch:1,simg:CAISEglyIgeEKvhAayFKnc7BwRHZaQ,sit:o&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=580&vpy=125&dur=814&hovh=188&hovw=268&tx=143&ty=98&ei=XXyCTLeiEoP_8AalgdFS&oei=XXyCTLeiEoP_8AalgdFS&esq=1&page=1&ved=1t:722,r:2,s:0). ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prehistoric-oddity-did-i-just-pull-out-of-my-garden/552424/46 "2010-09-04T19:45:53Z")
> [@Mr.Accident](#): > > Looks like a newt, or baby gela monster. Gila monsters are large desert-dwelling venomous reptiles with short chunky tails. They have scales, not smooth skin. > [@blondebear](#): > > I’m not sure about other reptiles, but Western Fence Lizards are pretty common in the mountains up to 10,000 ft. They survive the winters by [brumation](http://lllreptile.com/info/library/care-and-husbandry-articles/-/reptilian-brumation/)as opposed to hibernation. I grew up in the Colorado Rockies not too far from where this critter was found (7,200 feet). There were many Western Fence lizards both near our house and higher up. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prehistoric-oddity-did-i-just-pull-out-of-my-garden/552424/47 "2010-09-04T19:55:02Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > I was tending the garden trying to **eradicate the voles** [sic for my purposes] that have recently taken up housing in the garden For a minute there, I was looking up schedules to make sure Tennessee wasn’t playing the Buffs this weekend. I got better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prehistoric-oddity-did-i-just-pull-out-of-my-garden/552424.md?page=2)