Internet, meet Ned.

Ned is a blue-tongue lizard that lives under my house and occasionally suns himself on the cement walk at the base of my porch.
Ned is a big guy, thicker than my wrist and 14″/35cm long. According to Wikipedia, he’s at the top of his class size-wise.

I met Ned myself for the first time the other day when I burst out of the house to check out an unfamiliar bird that I noticed through the window crash-landing into our frangipani tree.
I got about halfway down the porch, saw him, screamed and flew straight back up up the stairs.

Ned was not impressed with my display and continued to sit on the path, flicking his bright blue tongue around and relaxing in general.

Of course moments later the Mister came outside to see what the fuss was about, saw Ned and explained to me that he was harmless despite his giant-snake-like looks.

Since our fateful introduction, I’ve seen Ned nearly every day. Sometimes over by the garbage cans or in the pile of fence alongside the house, but mostly hanging out at the bottom of our steps, waiting for me to come out so I can get a start and he can smirk to himself that I’m such a sucker.