Lizard Catching, and a Trip Around the Island

Day 3 on Naxos was lizard catching day. Since we'd have to rent a car to drive out to Colin's field site, we turned the day into a full tour of the northern half of the island. Our first stop was Mount Zas, the highest point on the island. We spent a couple hours hiking to the top and were rewarded with views of all the surrounding islands.

Marble trail at the beginning of the hike.

Colin built this cairn on a previous trip to alert people that the trail makes a sudden left turn.

View from the climb up. So many stone walls, perfect for lizards!

Me at the summit! It was a little hazy but still pretty.

After the hike, it was time for lunch and then the main event: catching lizards! Colin has multiple study sites around the island, but we went to one right in the middle of an olive grove. The stone walls and terraces make excellent lizard habitat. So basically, you just walk along the walls, looking for lizards.

Colin's olive orchard study site. 

I was amused to learn that Colin catches his lizards with tackle-less fishing poles. First step: catch a mealworm or other tasty morsel.

Catching mealworms.

Step two: tie the mealworm to the pole with dental floss.

Colin with a now-baited lizard catching pole. 

Step three: find a lizard and dangle the baited pole in front of its face. Wriggle it tantalizingly if the lizard doesn't bite. When the lizard bites, lift the pole - with the lizard still hanging on - and drop the lizard into a nearby bucket. Yes, lizards are kind of dumb and will hang on despite being lifted clear off the ground.

My first lizard!

I somehow caught a lizard on my first try. (True talent, must be.) We didn't have a particularly successful afternoon because it was so hot that the lizards weren't active enough to come out where we could see them, but I still ended up catching three.

After lizard catching, we stopped by one of the oldest Christian churches in the Aegean, which is right up the hill from Colin's study site.

Very old church.

And then, because we were hot and sweaty from a day of hiking and catching lizards, we headed for the beach. We chose a cute little cove in Apollonas, at the very northern end of the island. It was calm enough for good swimming, but had enough rocks for good snorkeling. Both Colin and I snorkeled here. We saw tons of fun fish!

Tiny harbor and protected swimming cove at Apollonas.

Enjoying the last of the evening sun on the beach. 

After the long day of driving, we headed back to the chora for dinner and packing. Packing?! That's right--the next day we left for our island excursion to Ios and Santorini. Time flies fast when having fun!