It was a very hot day when I happened upon this scene:
It really bears no relation to it, but the Douglas Livingstone poem, Sunstrike, immediately came to mind:
A solitary prospector
staggered, locked in a vision
of slate hills that capered
on the molten horizon.
Waterless, he came to where
a river had run, now a band
flowing only in ripples
of white unquenchable sand.
Cursing, he dug sporadically
here, here, as deep as his arm,
and sat quite still, eyes thirstily
incredulous on his palm.
A handful of alluvial
diamonds leered back, and more: mixed
in the scar, glinted globules
of rubies, emeralds, onyx.
And then he was swimming in fire
and drinking, splashing hot halos
of glittering drops at the choir
of assembled carrion crows.
I have not identified this beautiful creature.
Postscript: Having looked at the beautiful photographs on https://nextgenherpetologist.co.za/2016/07/26/cape-girdled-lizard-corylus-cordylus/ I am inclined to agree with Lettingnaturebackin (see comment below) that this is a Cape Girdled Lizard.
Handsome pattern upon its back.
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I think so too: would have loved to have touched those scales, but it scuttled away as soon as I approached too close for its comfort.
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That is quite a poem – the real beauty of the creation and all mixed up with also natural, but tragic, tricks the mind can play on us. I can see why it came to mind, in the middle of a drought, on a hot day.
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Thank you. As tenuous as it is, I am pleased you can also make a connection between poem and picture.
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One can sense the heat in this photograph. It works well with the poem.
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Thank you. It was probably the heat that really brought the poem to mind.
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Pragtige gedig.
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Die hitte en die droogte het my van die gedig herinner.
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I am wondering if it is one of the girdled lizards, possibly the Cape girdled lizard? It is a beautiful lizard.
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Thank you for this suggestion. Funnily enough I was looking at the photographs of Chad Keates when I saw your comment. You are spot on!
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Such an interesting lizard. Thanks for alerting me to Chad Keates and his website looks great.
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I have found his photographs very useful indeed – especially for frogs and snakes.
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Thanks, I will definitely be using his work as a reference source.
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Beautiful
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Thank you, Christa.
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