This is Rupert.
He's a gecko.
He's incredibly cute.
And a bit stupid apparently.
But really cute!
I met him in Oxford recently when we went there for CBC's sister's 30th birthday. We stayed with WKWTTG's best friend (she and her partner were SO kind allowing CBC and I to stay and cooked us a stonking breakfast) and had a lovely time with them- they're such nice people!
When I spotted Rupert, I was so excited. I adore lizards, especially little ones like Geckos.
He was really cute and was quite happy to be held by us!
One of the most wonderful things I experienced in Indonesia was the constant streams of little lizards who came into my room.
The room/unit I rented, like many Indonesian homes had ornated carved wooden panels at the top of the window. These basically had holes/slits in the design where these little lizards, Cecaks (Pronounced Cheh-chacks) would creep in and take up place on the wall, lying in wait for those dastardly mosquitoes (who could also get in through them unhelpfully) who would torture me at night with their projectile whizzing by my ear to taunt me, "I am about to dvink your blooooooooood," is what I think they were saying. I delighted in watching them crawl up the walls (to be fair, they usually just sat there) and listening out for their little "Chak, chak, chak" cry every so often. They were very shy and sweet and would never bother you.
There was a cute nursery rhyme I learnt about them:
Cecak, cecak, din, din, din
Diam, diam beriap
Datang seokur nyamuk
HAP! Lalu di tankup!
Roughly translates as:
Lizard, lizard calmly calmy prepares
A mosquito arrives.
GULP, already eaten up!
One day I expressed a wish to hold one but they were too quick. However, when I came home from University that day, my friend Ayu had caught me one and there it was on my veranda, looking grumpy in a clear plastic bag (with air holes thankfully!). I held him before he made a leap for freedom.
There were also the larger geckos there- called the Dok-eh! They were larger, spottier, darker and a little less cute. They would make this almighty racket- G da g da gda gda gda DOH- KEEEEH, DOH-KEEEEEEH..... which sounded like they were winding themselves up until they chimed like a clock and then the Doh-keeeeeeh would gradually lose enthusiasm like a clock winding down! Children pretend to tell the time by the number of Doh-keeeeeh's the gecko will cry. They were sweet but you see them less (though you hear them!)
The one type of lizard I wish I had seen in Indonesia was the Komodo dragon- they are indigenous to the island of Flores (a less well known island in Indonesia) and are world famous for being most like dragons. They're huge and cool!
What do you think of lizards?!?!
xx
Many years ago, I worked in a wine / spirit distribution warehouse. A gecko arrived one day hiding in a consignment of sherry that had come direct from Spain!!!
ReplyDeleteI am not a big reptile fan, I must say - I get that they are interesting creatures, but I wouldn't want one for a pet! Give me a critter with fur or feathers any day! xxx
ReplyDeleteI think they're adorable. We have newts in our garden pond which are very similar- and SO cute. xxx
ReplyDeleteI am not a big reptile fan though I do find some of the small lizards kind of cute. I like newts and salamanders in the garden and the little geckos are cute but I don't think I'd want one for a pet. I love your story about your time in Indonesia and the lizards and if the lizards eat mosquitoes I can imagine one would grow rather fond of them.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if this is true or not, but I believe the mosquitoes that buzz are the males and that it is only the females who bite but they don't buzz. Someone told me this but I always forget to look it up and verify it.
xo
We saw a komodo dragon in a zoo at Bali and it was fed live chickens, while the crowd looked on. I couldn't watch I had to walk away. That gecko looks huge in that photo, ours in Australia are really fast and the cat has a lot of fun with them. They are that fast that Mindy cat never catches them.
ReplyDeleteA room full of lizards would take some getting used to. Though if they ate the blood suckers I might be content. That rhyme loses much in the translation but still so cute. I sort of adore awkward translations like that :) Do you know what sort of jobs lizards have most often? Retail :)
ReplyDeleteI just love the little Gecko in Bali, Fiji and Vanuatu they were everywhere.
ReplyDeleteAww he looks sweet Kezzie, I don't think I would dare touch him though!?! I do get a bit scared of reptiles ...
ReplyDeleteI love all kinds of reptiles and amphibians.... well, you know me, I love to find all kinds of plant and animal life. I've never held a lizard so I'm a bit jealous. We saw a komodo at a zoo a few years ago, I think it was Bristol but it may have been Chester, and it was amazing!
ReplyDeleteI'm always excited when we come across a lizard or snake out walking :)