'They not only do no harm to local wildlife, they have become species that people actually want to have around. have even earned stellar reputations,' wrote University of Georgia ecology professor J. Not every imported species becomes an invasive pest.

Indiana wildlife officials went so far in the mid 2000s as to round up and kill the invading incomers. They eat mainly small insects like grasshoppers and spiders. Podarcis siculus 4, Saxifraga-Rudmer Zwerver.jpg Italian Wall Lizard (Podarci siculus) Climbing a tree A medium-sized lizard with a long slender body with a. 'It is illegal to release this or other animals into the wild in Ohio.' The Lazarus lizards prefer living on hills with rocky terrain, which is why we see them mainly on rock walls. 'It is unknown what effects the common wall lizard will have on native species, but their spread should be discouraged' because they could compete for food and territory with native lizards and skinks and squeeze the natives out, the division's website says. Because the lizards, which eat flies, beetles and spiders, have persisted for many years and survived through record-setting severe winters, they are considered permanent residents. State wildlife officials say the lizards are primarily found along old rock walls, railroad tracks, refuse piles, or occasionally in rocky ravines. The British Columbia colony reportedly was started when some lizards escaped from a zoo. The detached tail will continue to whip back and forth to further distract (bewilder) a predator. Other colonies of the imported lizards exist in the wild on Long Island and in British Columbia, for example. If you're a native Cincinnatian, you would likely call them 'Lazarus lizards.' The lizards are capable of shedding part of their tail to survive a predator's attack a defense mechanism known as autotomy. Lazarus lizard, also known as the European wall lizard or the common wall lizard, has the scientific name Podarcis muralis. They quickly adapted to life here because Cincinnati's climate is similar to northern Italy's. He released them in his family's east side Cincinnati yard, and the lizards made their home in the stacked stone walls. The young Rau had stuffed the lizards in a sock before boarding the plane for his flight home. His mother was arts patron Irma Lazarus, and his step-father was Fred Lazarus III, who was president and chairman of the old Shillito's department store.

George Rau brought back about 10 of them from Lake Garda in northern Italy. The lizard got its nickname from the family that brought them to Cincinnati. But officials from the Ohio Division of Wildlife say that cats and some birds of prey do eat them. ANSWER: Well, Diane, since the common or European wall lizard (scientific name Podacris muralis) is an 'import' from Italy, it arrived here in 1951 without any natural predators.