Lizard Stow-a-ways

[Catherine]

Many plants we buy  come from more tropical locations. In Ontario, they come from Florida. Small lizards like Brown Anoles and House Geckoes  lay their eggs in the flower pots. Plants are shipped very carefully so the eggs live in the soil and don't hatch until they arrive, usually in someone's home.
They are very small and their survival depends on being found and cared for properly.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/l...-1.6138045

The article makes it sound like this doesn't happen too often. Actually it happens every year. It happens anywhere that plants are shipped from Florida during egg laying season. They are very small at hatching and many don't make it. It is a problem, but I don't know what can be done to prevent this. The lizards slip in and lay their eggs. That is impossible to control. They lay their eggs in places in Florida too, and they are just as fragile when they hatch there. They don't all survive.
The conditions have to be right no matter where they hatch.  The only way the conditions can be right where the plants are shipped to is for people to provide the right conditions or surrender the baby lizard to someone who can.

If you find a baby lizard my advice would be to contact your nearest reptile store, reptile rescue or even reptile group. Someone there will know what to do.
If you are not committed to providing the care needed, it is better to give the lizard to someone can.  Chances are they are already raising a couple of rescues.

Why don't I ever find one of these babies? I am already set up to raise a lizard.