Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In the summer between semesters at Xavier University, it’s the Lazarus lizard’s time to shine. Introduced to Cincinnati in the 1950s by George Rau, this reptile’s population now numbers in the hundreds of thousands around the city. Rau was 10 years old when he smuggled in an estimated 10 common wall lizards from a family trip to Italy. Walk around campus on a sunny day and you’ll likely encounter at least one, even if it’s just hearing it scurry back into the grass beside the sidewalk.
In the summer between semesters at Xavier University, it’s the Lazarus lizard’s time to shine. Introduced to Cincinnati in the 1950s by George Rau, this reptile’s population now numbers in the hundreds of thousands around the city. Rau was 10 years old when he smuggled in an estimated 10 common wall lizards from a family trip to Italy. Walk around campus on a sunny day and you’ll likely encounter at least one, even if it’s just hearing it scurry back into the grass beside the sidewalk.
