Pet lizard launched an enterprise
LIZARDS LOUNGE on Larchmont Boulevard.
Back in 1980, thinking that his apartment manager wouldn’t let him have a dog or a cat as a pet, Henry Lizardlover, né Schifberg, bought a pet baby iguana. That simple act led to an enterprise that would span the following 20 years.
While living with his iguana, he found that by providing a calm and trusting environment, his lizard would relax and take on human positions. He started photographing his pet in these human positions. He then decided to purchase more lizards. He made mini chaises for his pets, and the lizards interacted with each other. He started making and selling lizard greeting cards and word got out.
LIZARDLOVER strolls the Larchmont Family Fair.
“What I was getting my lizards to do was unique and I got mega publicity for it,” said Lizardlover. He was featured in news pieces around the world; his pets appeared in music videos and tabloids; and he performed with his pets on stages in museums, libraries, and at UCLA. He even wrote and sold a book about caring for lizards. “They are wonderful and amazing creatures,” he said.
At the height of his popularity, Lizardlover lived with 60 to 70 lizards at his home in Larchmont Village. Most were iguanas, but sometimes monkey tail skinks and Chinese water dragons filled out his reptilian crew. He owns about a dozen now.
“Nowadays people would probably think [my work is made using] AI, but it’s not,” Lizardlover stated. He still wanders around L.A. with his pets and takes them to restaurants. “They love people food. The lizards stop people, and [it] really trips them out.”
Category: People
