Family's Lost Bearded Dragon Lizard Sought In San Francisco Mission District
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Signs posted for lost cats and dogs are a common sight, but in one San Francisco neighborhood a man is asking locals for help finding his bearded dragon lizard.
The reptile has been missing for more than one week.
Sticky the bearded dragon lizard was last seen in the Mission District where he lives. His owner, John Reitan, and his young son James are worried.
"Most likely a bird of prey got him," said the elder Reitan.
Flyers are posted and neighbors have been asked to keep a look out for a two-foot long lizard.
"Seems to be a family lizard. It's cream colored, a little orange, I think," said Calder Sokolow, who works nearby.
"I've seen larger things wandering around the sidewalk in the city," said a neighbor who gave her name as Kat.
The San Francisco Zoo has a full-grown bearded dragon lizard named Zebedee that visits classrooms around the city. The Zoo's reptile expert Amy Goodwin offered a tip: "If you happen to come across the bearded dragon in the Mission that is missing, I would recommend definitely approach it slowly just like you would with any animal," said Goodwin.
Goodwin said you don't want to spook it and have it run into traffic. She said the lizards are friendly.
"What we do with Zebedee sometimes is we'll offer him wax worms and mini meal worms and he'll actually chase them around," she said.
The bearded dragon lizard is a cold-blooded animal, and the last seven days temperatures have been cool - which does not bode well for the missing lizard. But Reitan and his son are still hoping sticky comes home.
