Geckos on the walls and ceilings

Last night I found the first gecko of this summer in my bathroom. I was so happy to see him (her? it?) that I took a picture on my phone – but he was so small, it did not come out well under electric light. So I decided to make a drawing – in this case, a lot larger that life-size, as he was only 3cm long. The ones we get here are very small, and a lot more elegant than in my drawing. The babies are translucent!

 

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House geckos are considered good luck by most people, and they’re useful to have around, since they feed on mosquitos and other insects. In the winter they hibernate, and when summer comes, they show up on the walls or on the ceiling, sometimes emitting a high-pitched squeak, almost like the faint chirping of a bird.
Geckos have adhesive toe pads enabling them to scurry with ease along walls and ceilings. Looking at this little fella’s toes reminded me of Gollum – Tolkien must have been inspired by some similar creature.

54 thoughts on “Geckos on the walls and ceilings”

  4. Oh, I love geckos! We used to have them in our house in Australia, as well as a lovely blue-tongue lizard who lived under our back deck. Almost like having little dragons in the house 😉

    And your drawing is absolutely beautiful, love it!

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  7. Nice drawing 🙂
    Ours have shown up already too , we have one that “hunts” on the outside of our basement windows and give us a show at night 🙂 It’s intriguing how they can just be there for so long plastered to the window (their bellies are a shimmering white) perfectly immobile and then move so fast as soon as they see a mosquito or something approaching .
    Turtle Hugs

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  8. Terrific drawing, better than a photo. When I was in Fiji, at night the geckos (they were pink) would become so heavy with eating on the ceiling that they would drop off onto the floor with the weight!

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  12. Beautiful rendering of a gecko. We have them in the house year round, since we live in the tropics. Perhaps fewer in the winter, but still there… They are everywhere, and range from tiny (2cm) to full size (8 or 9cm). They do a good job of keeping the biting insects down, but are also quite loud. My main complaint is the amount of gecko poop they leave behind!

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  13. Wonderful drawing! I know many people are afraid of them but I think they’re charming. Of course, they don’t live around here ~ I have to travel to Florida to see them.

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  14. Lovely! My brother has geckos living in his house in Brisbane, but on visits I’ve only heard them, not seen them. There is a variety of native geckos here in New Zealand, but they’re outdoorsy types who don’t seem interested in taking up residence in houses.

    Just as well, because they have full legal protection and can only be kept “in captivity” if you have a permit. A gecko in my bathroom could get me into trouble.

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  17. Absolutely love your drawing and also Kate Chiconi’s story since I too live Down Under, tho’ more than a 1500 kms south of her. Not too many geckos here and I am not certain I would love their vocal abilities . . . but as far as blue-tongued lizards are concerned: no shortage! No particular attraction there either but we just look at one another when we meet gardening and quietly part ways . . .

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  20. I’ve been introduced to geckos via holidays in the tropics. They freaked me out at first but I soon came to love them, especially as they rid the place of a good many insects. It’s the annoying habit they have of detaching their tails. That still freaks me out.
    Your drawing is fabulous.

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