Farewell to Tarragon

[Catherine]

Tarragon is a Berber Skink. I purchased her in May of 2002. She has been a sweet little lizard all these years.
 I think she was 14-15 years old. It is hard to say. She always looked the same until a couple of months ago. She finally started to look old. This week I knew she was failing.

Tarragon my dear little lizard died this morning after many years of living in a tank I set up for her. She was special and very tame. She liked to sit on my hand and eat. She liked her crickets, but she also loved fruit and the gecko food I use. She has been a quiet presence all these years and it already seems strange to be without her. She was my oldest pet and the one who has been with me the longest. I never dreamed when I brought her home that she would be with me all these years. I always hope for more, but I was really lucky to have her as long as I did.


Tarragon the Berber Skink


She did love her food.


In later years she shared her space with Spencer the Pink Tongued Skink


She looks like she is smiling.


She was pretty focused on food.


She also shared her tank with Leo the Cuban Knight Anole. Yes he is missing his feet. You can see Tarragon's tail sticking out from under Leo. She was a very social lizard.


After many years of being queen of her terrarium Tarragon has moved on, but she will be missed.

She was very pretty wasn't she.

[Tobi]

Oh, dear little Tarragon...I can imagine how much she will be missed. She is a dear little one, with beautiful colouring and sweet face. She knew how much she was loved.

The others will miss her I am sure.

She had a good life, and a long life. I don't know a Skink's average lifespan, but all those happy years sound good.

Bless her Soul.

[Catherine]

I miss her. She was such a little character.
I think she had a good long life and she may have been much older than I know. Skinks are funny little creatures and you just can't judge their ages. It take at least two years to reach maturity and she was mature when I got her. She was always tame so she may have been someone else's pet for years before I got her. The natural span is 15-20 years and I know she was older that 14 years. Who knows, maybe she was twenty.

She was cute and perky and very active when it came to food and very quiet when it came to basking in the heat light. She was always so easy to have around. Her colour was brighter when she was younger so she must have been very old. She was just so pretty and graceful. I loved how she would sit on my hand and let me hand feed her.

Ten years ago she got out and it took three days to find her. I was so scared that I would never see her again. I was so relieved when we found her. Who would have guessed that she would still be with my all these years later.

I am going to miss my little Tarragon. We had our own special closeness.

[Ruth]

I'm so sorry to hear you have lost Tarragon. I'm sure you have lots of memories of her with her being so old. You will meet again.

[Catherine]

Thank-you. She was special and we had lots of good times when I hand fed her. She liked me to feed her fruit by had. She liked to sit on my hand and be offered treats.  After all these years she is very much a part of my memories.  She had a mate, but he died ten years ago. I suppose they are together again. She liked him, but he has been gone so long we barely think of him.
She lived with other skinks for the rest of her life, but I never saw one the same as her.

She was uncommon and very delicate looking.

[Ruth]

Yes, she sounds like a really special skink. I've never heard of skinks before. Is that a slang term for lizard?

[Catherine]

Skinks are a whole family of lizards. There are over two thousand kinds of skinks. I have only seen a dozen  or so of the different kinds. I have had 8  or nine different kinds of skinks. They are known for their long tubular bodies and short stubby legs.  They have short legs, but they seem to flow rather than walk. Most of them burrow. They are my favourite lizard family.

[Cibach]

Tarragon was very lovely and I'm sure she is sorely missed.
Our little friends take up a very special place in our hearts, one we may not have realised was empty until they came along. It is a hard place to fill once they have gone.
Rest peacefully, Dear Tarragon, and join the big party when it's time.

[Catherine]

I guess she has joined Emma, Topher, Emily and all the other little skinks that I have had in my life. The tank looks so empty without her. I think the others miss her too. She was so funny and I miss her perky personality.

I have so many little friends that have gone on before me.

[LPC]

I'm very sorry to read about Tarragon. What delightful colouring of the body!

I understand how you must feel, especially since she had been with you for such a long time. Crawl free and have fun, dear Tarragon....with the others who have passed before you.