Using herp bands is an acquired skill.

Unfortunately, I used to kill lizards with them with some frequency. One summer (1986) as an undergraduate student I had a job working for Jack Sites catching Sceloporus grammicus (and related lizards) in areas around Mexico city. Over 6 weeks we caught over 1500 lizards and I would say 95% of those lizards survived the experience of capture. Since that time, I am sure I have banded many hundreds of lizards. Have I killed a few by mistake....sure. But I have also managed to catch lizards that I couldn't have captured otherwise. There is a risk involved and I only use the technique when I have to capture a particular lizard for a good reason.

You have to be careful with really small lizards as it is easy to hit them too hard but with a little practice, you can stun a lizard for just a few seconds - long enough to grab it.
Noosing is better and a heck of a lot more fun!

For reference, I prefer 2 number 105 rubber bands tied together.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, TX

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