I found this poem I wrote for Christmas awhile back and thought I would share! Scooter the mangrove is doing fine, He is 11 now! My Tristis trio Mosey, Rivette, and Calista are also well and are 7 years old. Florabelle the peachthroat passed away suddenly in 2000, but she is alive in this little christmas poem. 
Happy holidays to all of you and your scaly (and furred) friends! -Holly-
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the
house,
not a lizard was hungry, all had eaten a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the window,(no chimney here
with care,
in hopes soon more mealworms and mice would be there.
The mangrove and peachthroat were asleep in there
beds, bloody tidbits of food danced in their heads.
The tristis were napping, merely resting there eyes,
always ready to flee, aptly so for their size.
I was just making ready to follow their lead, when out
the window glimpsed light with great speed.
Suddenly, out by the door there arose such a clatter,
I ran to the hallway to see what was the matter.
And what do my wondering eyes should appear,
Santa filling our stockings with pre-packaged
reindeer!
I watched quite in shock as he opened cage doors,
hoping Santa had dealt with huge lizards before.
Scooter climbed up his leg,
in his beard he was searching,
Santa’s rumbling laugh sent peach Florabelle lurching.
He brought them together, they puffed and they hissed,
"Now allow me to deliver your mistress’s gift,"
From his coat came a heart-shaped tidbit of meat.
"Stop fussing you two! Sit together and eat!"
When the last of the heart had been scarfed and
devoured,
My lizards stopped hissing and had sex for 5 hours!
So happy was I, what a present to get,
baby lizards this year from my two favorites pets!
With my grin ear to ear and my cap on my head,
I stole quietly into my room to my bed.
Light Footsteps across my roof I did hear,
And I heard Santa speak to his team of reindeer,
I peeked out the window to see the sleigh and it’s
team,
and sat in stunned silence this must be a dream!
With A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
He patted the scale-covered hides of his friends,
All ready to go, he climbed into his sleigh,
and with a snap of the reins said, "UP, UP, Up and
away!"
"Now Crasher, now Smasher, now Nipper, now Rippsen!
On Comet, on Rufus, on Deathgrip, on Shreadzen!"
"To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
Not an antler, or hoof, or hairy hide was in sight,
'Cause 8 huge Perentie's drew the sleigh into flight!
As I pondered this most miraculous eve,
I grabbed a pen and a paper and rolled up my sleeves.
"Christmas list 2000" I did write at the top of the
sheet,
#1 wrote Perentie pair,
#2 reindeer meat
**(and the breeding success of Mr. Frank Retes!)**
That Santa sure turned out to be quite a cool fellow,
I thought as I snuggled my bed's fluffy pillows.
Guess he finally got tied of messing with mammals,
after all, monitor lizards are the COOLEST of animals!
Merry Christmas ALL!
