Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Corner the lizard in your house
• Method 2 of 3: Making a lizard trap
• Method 3 of 3: Lure a lizard into a trap
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Maybe it's the new, unwanted roommate. Maybe you only want to have a "pet" for a certain part of the day. You may also just want to know if there are lizards in your yard. Whatever the reason, there are ways to catch one of these fast little crawlers that don't require touching them.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Corner the lizard in your house

1. Find out which room he's in. If the little creeper is an unwanted guest in your house, it usually helps if you know which room you saw him in the most. Hopefully it's the same room every time. Since they are creatures of habit, you may be lucky enough to see them in the same part of the room every time.
   • Look around the room for the cracks / crevices that will make it go in and out. To catch it, you may have to close it while it is in the room.
2. Limit where the lizard can go by blocking escape routes. After that, you will need a bucket (or box) and a long stick - which is at least 3 feet long. Make sure the stick is not pointed.
   • Use multiple buckets (or boxes). Lay out about three blankets to block the escape routes between your buckets. Increasing the probability can only help you.
   • Place the bucket (s) where you want the lizard to escape. You have the best chance of catching him by placing them where the lizard escaped earlier.
   • Draw or paint a crack in the bottom of the bucket. Lizards love to hide in cracks, so if he thinks he sees one, chances are he'll go there. Use a Sharpie or paint depending on whether you choose to draw or paint the crack.
   • Don't forget to let the ink / paint dry. You want to get rid of all chemical smells as much as possible. You can even wash it a bit to make it safer and to reduce the chances of the lizard running away from it.
3. Approach your lizard quietly and slowly. Scaring him can make things a lot harder.
   • Only wear socks. In this way, there is no danger of a squeaky shoe, the click of a heel, etc.
4. Spray the lizard with a fine mist of cool water to slow it down. Now use your stick to gently guide it into the bucket.
   • Do not touch the lizard with your stick. You don't want to hurt the little crawler, and besides that, you only have to do this or he will already run away.
   • Adapt to your lizard's behavior. If he still doesn't move after spraying him with cold water, you can also just place a bucket over him. Slide a manila envelope under the bucket to seal it. Then turn the bucket over, keeping the manila envelope firmly pressed to the opening of the bucket.
   • Use your stick to turn the bucket. If your lizard is running into a bucket quickly, don't waste time going over to the bucket and turning it over with your hand. This can mean the difference between a captive lizard and a lizard running free once more.

Method 2 of 3: Making a lizard trap

1. Choose the most fragrance-free box you have. Bad odors can keep the lizards away from your trap. Cover the opening tightly with cellophane and secure it at the sides with odor-free tape.
2. Make a hole in the cellophane. Make sure the hole is in the center of the cellophane-covered opening, and that the hole is not much bigger than the lizards you are trying to catch. If the hole is too big, other creepers that you do not want to enter with your lizards can also enter (eg snakes).
   • You can also use a glass terrarium if you have one and don't mind making a hole in the cover material over the top. This also gives you a 360 degree view of the inside of the bucket from a distance.
3. Find out what lizards are in the area. This also allows you to discover what your lizard eats. Throw in some bugs from the pet store.
   • Make an informed choice about the food you give him. For example, the western long-tailed lizards that live near Las Vegas eat insects and spiders. You may not be able to buy the right kind of spider from the pet store. In that case you can also search in and around your house for the right spider, and then trap it. You can also put a piece of fruit in the trap. This attracts flies and fruit flies, which in turn attract lizards.
4. Place the bucket in a spot in your yard where lizards are common. If there is a ledge nearby, use it to your advantage. Lizards love to climb walls, so this could be an extra attractive place for them.
5. Put a piece of tarpaulin under your lizard trap. If the ground is moist, the tarpaulin will keep the trap dry.
6. Check your trap every so often to make sure you've already caught a lizard. If there is no lizard in it yet, check if there is still live bait in it. If there is a lizard in it ... congratulations!

Method 3 of 3: Lure a lizard into a trap

1. Keep an eye on your garden. If you see the little reptile you would like to see up close, keep track of where and when you see it. This is important when the time comes to hunt. Just like the people in the wildlife programs, you will have to learn the habits of your prey.
2. Search online for information about the lizard species that live in the area. This will undoubtedly give you an idea of ​​their favorite habitats, hiding places, etc. Then you can choose the spot in your garden that is most attractive to lizards.
   • Around Las Vegas, for example, the western long-tailed lizard is common. A short internet search will give you a lot of important, useful information.
   • The western long-tailed lizard likes to hide in the trees and between the roots of the creosote bush that protrude above the ground. It's a good idea to use a shrub in or near your yard, or gather roots from the creosote bush to make a shelter in your yard.
   • The western long-tailed lizard also eats insects and spiders, so your creosote trap will be more attractive if you put in it a spider or fruit that attracts flies and fruit flies.
   • If you live in California, in Riverside or in San Diego Counties, you will often see the striped rock lizard. The striped rock lizard eats ants, beetles, flies, caterpillars, spiders, flower buds and blossoms.
   • Since this is a flat lizard that likes to hide between and under rocks and stones, a trap made with this and containing more than enough food is an excellent way to get one of these guys into your yard or in another convenient place nearby.
3. Build a realistic habitat. You want to attract a lizard to your chosen spot in your garden. By doing research, you will learn that small lizards like to hide in crevices. So collect some wood that you have left and make a wall in miniature with a large crack in it for a lizard to hide in. You can also use cement and a mold if it is easier to get to.
   • Follow exactly the information you have collected. If you build the right kind of lizard trap, you will likely catch a lizard.
4. Select a bucket that is larger than your wall / structure. Place the lid on the floor with the inside facing up (and the outside of the lid facing down) and place your wall / structure on top. Secure your wall / structure to the lid (best use nails or screws as you can make them mostly chemical and odor free by soaking them in boiling water for a while).
   • This can get tricky if you stack the wood or stones together to create openings for the lizard to hide in (depending on your information). You will have to improvise with some glue, some nails, etc. Lizards like openings that are the same size as their body, so as long as you can manage this there is a good chance you will catch one.
5. Have your trap slammed. Once you notice that the lizard is using your build, wait until it is in the crack, then put the bucket you used the lid on over everything and attach it to the upside down lid. Now you have a lizard.
   • A bucket of clear / see-through material works best. You can also buy an inexpensive, opaque bucket from any hardware store and cut away the bottom of it. Beware: If your wall is nearly the same height as the box and you've cut away the bottom of the bucket, there is a chance that your lizard will pop out again.

Tips

• After you've been looking at your lizard for a while (a few hours, for example), you should release it outside. Remember, keeping wild animals in captivity is never a good thing.
• A stick can injure a lizard, so be very, very careful when using one to drive your prey into something.
• Keeping wild lizards as pets is not a good idea. They can be carriers of diseases, parasites, possibly mites, etc. This is especially true if you already have other pets. If you want a pet lizard, go to a certified pet store.
• If you do choose to grab the lizard, don't grab it on the side with just your fingers. Doing so will pinch it and possibly hurt it, which could get you on a bite.
• You can spray ice water over the lizard to slow it down.
• If you put a bowl of water in your habitat, the lizard can drink and cool down.
• Don't forget to find out what lizards are in the area to make sure you can catch them safely and that they are not endangered species.
• If you don't have a bucket you will have to buy a few. If you don't want to do that, you can always use a hat, but make sure there is no hole in the back.

Warnings

• Turtles, lizards and a number of other reptiles are known to carry Salmonella bacteria. Be aware of this.
• There are two lizard species that are poisonous: the Gila monster that lives in the Southwestern United States and its more southern cousin, the Mexican scabbard lizard (they both belong to the Heloderma family). The only other lizard bite that is dangerous is that of lizard species belonging to the genus Varanus, because they are large and have strong jaws. The largest species is the Komodo dragon, a scavenger whose bite can transmit infections as well as cause a lot of damage. Hopefully you don't have a copy of this in your guest room.
• If, for some reason, you touch or try to pick up the lizard, wash your hands before and after.
• Before trying to catch the lizard, make sure it is not of a dangerous species. Some lizards have very strong jaws and some are poisonous.
• Respect the lizard just as you respect other animals. If you are not careful and gentle he can attack and bite you.
• Small lizards also have teeth. Although they are very small and generally cannot penetrate the skin, they can still hurt you considerably. In addition, the stress is not good for both the lizard and you.
• While many lizards eat crickets, many do not. Check this out before catching your new friend. The toad lizard (not a toad but a horned lizard that lives in the Southwestern US) only eats ants. Toad lizards will eventually die if forced to eat mealworms or crickets, and neither will find attractive food.
• Remember that many species of lizards should not be taken from the wild and kept as pets. Do not keep these species as pets.

Necessities

• A bowl / bucket / box that the lizard cannot climb out of and that meets one of the above descriptions
• Manila envelope (optional)
• Towels or blankets (optional)
• Wood, cement, a mold, or other objects that you can use to build a wall (optional)
• Stones, waste wood or scrap (optional)
• A stick or other object that is at least 91 cm long (and not sharp)
• A lizard
• Grass or a small branch with leaves (optional - to make your trap / bucket more homely)
• Mud or soil (optional - and no chemicals should be in it either)