unidentifiable lizard

Question
QUESTION: my friend's son just caught a lizard and i have been trying to figure out what kind it is. It is active during the day, it is very fast. It has visible scales on its back and has stripes that go side to side that are black and grayish. Its also has a curved spine that goes up and down. I thought for a second that maybe its back was broken but there are more in the bushes in front of the house that are the same way. We're not sure yet what it eats, and are hoping to find out soon. Also we are curious if it would get along with a Mediterranean Gecko. Also how do you "water" lizards. Thank you.

ANSWER: It sounds like some sort of spiny lizard, though I would need a little more information for a proper ID. Can you tell me where you live, and possibly send me a photograph? (email to info@phoenixsnakeremoval.com)

I would not put it in with the gecko. Many larger lizards consider anything smaller and moving good to eat!

For water, just put it in a bowl. It really depends on the species and the part of the country that you live. Let me know and I'll ID it for you.

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QUESTION: We live in Central Texas. I was thinking maybe a Spiny Lizard but its small. Maybe 2 1/2 inches with the tail stretched out. The gecko is actually bigger though its missing its tail. Unfortunatly i have no way of sending a picture.

ANSWER: It could still be a spiny lizard. Right now there are a lot of babies running around. I have a bunch of them in my backyard right now as well (though a different species).

The most common lizard in your area is most likely the Texas Spiny Lizard, Sceloporus olivaceus.

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=mnu&rls=org.mozilla:en-US

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QUESTION: What about the Mediterranean Gecko, same thing with the coloration?

My phone don't take pictures. I might be able to get his mom to take a picture and send it once she gets home.

Answer
The med gecko is a little different. Their tail should grow back a bit faster, too. You can tell the sex of them, if it's an adult, by looking at the hips. Males will have two small "nubs" that protrude to each side if viewed from above straight down. Females lack these. Coloration between male and female is pretty much the same.