At no time have I ever pulled the wings off flies. Ever. Insects were safe but I do have to confess to crimes against reptiles and more particularly the bearded dragon.
Since a child I have always been fascinated by bearded dragons but my way of sharing the love has not always been in the best interest of the species. There was the time I watched one carefully bury its eggs in the back yard. I dug them up and wrapped them in cotton wool in a match box to see if I could hatch them. I have no idea if that would have worked as a plan because, of course, I lost the match box. But that's not the worst of it. My sisters did not have the same passion for the lizards as I did. In fact it would be fair to say they were terrified of them. Which gave me rare power. Grab one of these by the tail and I had a weapon guaranteed to keep either or both of my sisters at a distance. For this I am truely sorry. These days I am happy to admire these amazing prehistoric creatures from a distance. I like to think I have been forgiven. This one at least was happy to stand around and let me take its photo.
