Lizard Birth
If you have raised kids (or been one), and gone through
the pet syndrome, including toilet flush burials for dead
goldfish, the story below will have you laughing out
LOUD!
Overview: I had to take my son's lizard to the vet.
Here's what happened:
Just after dinner one night, my son came up to tell me
there was 'something wrong' with one of the two lizards
he holds prisoner in his room.
'He's just lying there looking sick,' he told me. 'I'm
serious, Dad. Can you help?'
I put my best lizard-healer expression on my face and
followed him into his bedroom. One of the little lizards
was indeed lying on his back, looking stressed. I
immediately knew what to do.
'Honey,' I called, 'come look at the lizard!'
'Oh, my gosh!' my wife exclaimed. 'She's having babies.'
'What?' my son demanded. 'But their names are Bert
and Ernie, Mom!'
I was equally outraged.
'Hey, how can that be? I thought we said we didn't want
them to reproduce,' I said accusingly to my wife.
'Well, what do you want me to do, post a sign in their
cage?' she inquired (I think she actually said this
sarcastically!)
'No, but you were supposed to get two boys!' I reminded
her, (in my most loving, calm, sweet voice, while gritting
my teeth).
'Yeah, Bert and Ernie!' my son agreed.
'Well, it's just a little hard to tell on some guys, you know,'
she informed me.
By now the rest of the family had gathered to see what was
going on. I shrugged, deciding to make the best of it.
'Kids, this is going to be a wondrous experience,' I
announced. 'We're about to witness the miracle of birth..'
'Oh, gross!' they shrieked
'Well, isn't THAT just great? What are we going to do with a
litter of tiny little lizard babies?' my wife wanted to know.
We peered at the patient. After much struggling, what looked
like a tiny foot would appear briefly, vanishing a scant second
later.
'We don't appear to be making much progress,' I noted.
'It's breech,' my wife whispered, horrified.
'Do something, Dad!' my son urged...
'Okay, okay.' Squeamishly, I reached in and grabbed the foot
when it next appeared, giving it a gentle tug.. it disappeared.
I tried several more times with the same results.
'Should I call 911?' my eldest daughter wanted to know.
'Maybe they could talk us through the trauma.' (You see a
pattern here with the females in my house?)
'Let's get Ernie to the vet,' I said grimly.. We drove to the
vet with my son holding the cage in his lap.
'Breathe, Ernie, breathe,' he urged.
'I don't think lizards do Lamaze,' his mother noted to him.
(Women can be so cruel to their own young. I mean what she
does to me is one thing, but this boy is of her womb, for
God's sake.).
The vet took Ernie back to the examining room and peered
at the little animal through a magnifying glass.
'What do you think, Doc, a C-section?' I suggested
scientifically.
'Oh, very interesting,' he murmured. 'Mr. And Mrs. Cameron,
may I speak to you privately for a moment?'
I gulped, nodding for my son to step outside.
'Is Ernie going to be okay?' my wife asked.
'Oh, perfectly,' the vet assured us.. 'This lizard is not in labor..
In fact, that isn't EVER going to happen. . . Ernie is a boy. You
see, Ernie is a young male. And occasionally, as they come into
maturity, like most male species, they um . . Um .. . . Masturbate.
Just the way he did, lying on his back.' He blushed, glancing at my
wife..
We were silent, absorbing this.
'So, Ernie's just . Just . .. . Excited,' my wife offered.
'Exactly!! The vet replied , relieved that we understood.
More silence.. Then my vicious, cruel wife started to giggle. And
giggle. And then even laugh loudly.
'What's so funny?' I demanded, knowing, but not believing that
the woman I married would commit the upcoming affront to my
flawless manliness...
Tears were now running down her face. 'It's just .that . .I'm
picturing you pulling on its . . . its. .. . teeny little . . ' She gasped
for more air to bellow in laughter once more.
'That's enough,' I warned. We thanked the vet and hurriedly
bundled the lizard and our son back into the car. He was glad
everything was going to be okay.
'I know Ernie's really thankful for what you did, Dad, he told me.
'Oh, you have NO idea,' my wife agreed, collapsing with laughter.
Two lizards: $140.
One cage: $50.
Trip to the vet: $30.
Memory of your husband pulling on a lizard's winkie: Priceless!
Moral of the story: Pay attention in biology class.
Lizards lay eggs!