Lizard Cools Off On Top Of Sprinkler

Who knew that lizards like sprinklers, too? From Condobolin, New South Wales comes an amazing video of a lizard that actually likes getting wet. The sun beats hard down on Australia. Even a lizard likes to cool off now and again.

We think of reptiles as desert creatures that prefer the heat and don’t do well in cooler temperatures, but there are exceptions. Alligators and water snakes live in the water, as do turtles. But we draw clear distinction between water reptiles and dry land reptiles.

"I came home from feeding the sheep on a hot afternoon and this poor bugger must have been feeling the heat and was perched on the sprinkler," said the person who took this fascinating video. So, even desert reptiles reserve the prerogative to get wet now and again. Sprinklers aren’t just for kids and dogs, after all!

We aren’t informed as to what species of lizard this is, but it sure does seem to be enjoying itself. It latches on to the hose, and intelligently positions its scaly face just ahead of the aperture, where the water comes out.

“Mmmm….ahhh! Feels so GOOD!” Yes it does, our little friend. You just take as much time as your little heart desires. Don’t worry; someone else is paying the water bill.

We are sure herpetologists are scrambling to document this abnormal behavior. It looks like lizards are assimilating into suburban culture. What’s next, sitting on a porch swing with its legs crossed, sipping a mint julep? The variety of the animal experience never ceases to amaze us. We don’t think of non-mammal orders of life as exhibiting novel behavior. We are used to seeing videos of dolphins, dogs, and even rodents trying new things. All animals probably know what they like when they see it or feel it. This scene surely proves the lizard knows a good thing when it sees it.

The little guy probably doesn’t even care that it’s being watched. “Go ahead, make me a social media star,” it seems to be saying. Its natural wariness suspended temporarily, it could care less who’s watching.

Where will this end? Kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, platypuses (or is it “platypi”?)…oh my! The animals of Australia have found a new benefactor in the human world. The old saying goes, “build a better mouse trap and people will beat a path to your door.” But whoever said that never thought of the converse, “build a better sprinkler and animals will beat a path to your door.”