Nursery in the Meadow

While we were out of town overnight Monday, our neighborhood got nearly an inch of rain! So yesterday evening, James and I were strolling around, checking out plants. When we wandered into the Meadow, we heard something scamper through the leaves. I saw a Texas spiny lizard running across the ground, toward the oaks, away from where James stood near the cedar gate he'd made.

"Look!" he exclaimed. "She just laid eggs!" She had! More than 10!

I took photos, then we stayed away. One time, we did peek, and she immediately ran away so we knew she was tending to her nursery. So we didn't have to worry about the eggs.

This morning, I took my camera and went back outside to check her nest (photos below). Mission accomplished! She'd finished depositing eggs and covered them back up. According to what I've read, the eggs will hatch within 43 to 83 days. 

For further reading:
"Texas spiny lizards give us a garden surprise"

Texas spiny lizard

UPDATE August 21, 2014–James contacted the curator of herpetology at UT-Austin's Texas Natural History Collections about our eggs. Here's what he shared: 

"Our Texas spiny lizards (Sceloporus olivaceus) typically lay between 5-25 eggs in a nest, sometimes nesting four times a year during good conditions. Typical incubation time is between 45-60 days but may fluctuate a few days outside of that range, depending on the nest depth and amount of sun the nest site receives each day (warmer nests typically hatch more quickly)."