Reptile & Amphibian Forums

January 12, 2006
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma police are on the lookout for a lizard that was stolen from the Oklahoma City Zoo last Friday.

Police are looking for a Chuckwalla lizard taken from the zoo's Lizard Exhibit. Zookeepers believe the lizard was stolen because this particular species cannot jump or climb.

The Chuckwalla lizard is a native of a small island in the Sea of Cortez. The lizard is a federally listed endangered species.

The Oklahoma City Zoo has three Chuckwallas, one male and two females. The missing lizard is a female and is a foot long and is tan in color and has black spots.

If found, the perpetrator will face federal felony charges. Zookeepers hope to find the lizard before it is in real danger. They require a special diet and have to be kept at a certain temperature to survive.

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norcalsnakemaster@comcast.net

THE OKLAHOMAN (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) 14 January 06 Missing rare lizard returned to city zoo (Karen Klinka)
The Oklahoma City Zoo's missing chuckwalla lizard was returned Friday as mysteriously as it disappeared, zoo officials said.
Spokeswoman Tara Henson said zookeepers speculate the "lizard-napper" chose to put the rare San Esteban Island chuckwalla back in its original enclosure in the Island Life exhibit.
"We think it was returned sometime during, or after, lunch," Henson said Friday. "The keepers did a head count this afternoon and suddenly realized we had three chuckwallas again."
When the theft of the female chuckwalla was reported Monday, zookeepers had moved the zoo's two remaining rare chuckwallas to a more secure area, the spokeswoman said.
Henson said the returned chuckwalla appeared healthy in spite of her experience.
San Esteban Island chuckwallas are a protected, endangered species, and possessing one without a U.S. government permit is illegal.
In the wild, this particular chuckwalla lives in a rocky, arid desert environment on the island, which is near Mexico's Baja California peninsula.
Missing rare lizard returned to city zoo